Liar Liar Pants on Fire
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Two months later the Turtles are trying to heal, but when they encounter a mysterious girl, they are left wondering whether Robyn is still alive or if she's really dead. Sequel to Truth and Lies.
1. Chapter 1

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Chapter 1: Fanning the Flames

A/N: Well, here's the long awaited sequel to Truth and Lies. Sorry it took me so long, but I wanted to get at least five chapters written before I even attempted to post this. If you haven't read Truth and Lies, then I suggest you do so first or you'll be very confused about what's going on. This story will take place two months after the events of Truth and Lies. I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

Summary: Two months later the Turtles are trying to heal, but when they encounter a mysterious girl, they are left wondering whether Robyn is still alive or if she's really dead. Sequel to Truth and Lies.

The flames were hot and he dripped with sweat. Leo was dangling over the flames trying his best to maintain his grip on the board he held. He couldn't see his brothers and wondered where they had gone. Just as he tried to pull himself up, Robyn appeared, smiling wickedly as she took in his plight.

"Leo, Leo, looks like you're in a tight spot," she taunted. "It's too bad your brothers can't help you." She gestured behind her, and Leo saw his brothers lying dead in a heap. Anger filled his eyes at the realization that they were gone and who had killed them.

"How could you do this?" he asked her. "Why did you kill them?"

"Because that was my plan all along," she replied. "They had to go, and now you'll be next. It's a shame you won't be able to see your father one last time."

"Robyn, you don't have to do this," begged Leo. "It's not worth it. Just pull me up." He thought that by pleading with her she would show mercy and help him up. Then he would strike and subdue her so she could be sent to jail for good.

Robyn laughed. "Do you think I'm stupid?" she sneered. "I know exactly what you'll do. I'll pull you up, and you'll subdue me so that you make sure I go to jail for my sister's murder. Well, that's not gonna happen, Leo. The truth of what happened will die with you and your brothers, and no one will be able to implicate me. I'll be able to do as I please, and no one will ever suspect me of killing my sister. But don't worry, Leo. I'll make sure to tell your dad you died an honorable death protecting me from the people who did start the fire. I'm sure he'll be proud of you."

Once again, Leo tried to reach her. "Robyn, you don't have to do this. We can get you some help. I'm sure you didn't mean to kill April and that you loved her. You just weren't in the right frame of mind."

Robyn bared her teeth at his words. "How dare you suggest such a thing?" she snarled. "I hated April and had every intention of killing her. I won't got back to that crazy house either. I'm getting rid of you and leaving New York for good. So, goodbye, Leo, and say hi to April for me."

"No! " cried Leo as Robyn kicked out, causing Leo to lose his grip on what he was holding, sending him into the fiery flames below.

22222

"Leo! Leo, wake up, bro!" begged a familiar voice.

Leo bolted upright in bed, his heart pounding. He looked around frantically, breathing hard until he realized that he was in his room and not in the antique shop. He turned and saw Raph looking at him, concern written on his face.

"Another nightmare?" Raph guessed.

Leo waved him off. "It was nothing, Raph," he replied. "Go back to bed."

"You were dreamin' about her again, weren't you?" Raph persisted, ignoring Leo's order.

Leo knew that lying wasn't going to work, so he answered, "Yeah, I was."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Leo shook his head. "Not right now," he answered.

"Are you gonna tell Splinter about it?"

The blue-clad Turtle nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell him," he said. "It's what he wants me to do anyway."

"Don't forget to tell him about last night, too," Raph reminded him.

Leo tensed. Last night had definitely been weird, but he didn't want to read too much into what they'd seen. He'd wanted to tell Splinter about it when they came home, but Splinter had suggested that Leo go to bed since he looked exhausted. Now he had to wonder if what they'd seen last night had triggered the nightmare he'd just had.

Raph was getting impatient. "Leo, are you gonna tell Splinter?" he asked him.

"Yeah, I'll tell him after practice," answered Leo.

"Good because you can't keep that from him," said Raph. "Hey, I know somethin' that'll take your mind off of your dream."

"Like what?" asked Leo skeptically.

"Just come with me and you'll find out," replied Raph. He led Leo to the living area and told Leo to sit on the couch. Leo did so, feeling a little confused as to what Raph had in store for him. Raph grabbed the remote and turned the TV on making sure the volume was low enough that only they could hear it.

Then Leo noticed the show that Raph had turned it to. "Wait, we're watching Cops?" he asked his red-clad brother.

"Yeah, I figured this would be a good way to get your mind off of your dream," Raph told him. "See, they're doin' a traffic stop. I'm gonna predict that this person has a warrant for their arrest."

"No, they probably have drugs in the car," Leo contradicted.

"Okay, bro, whoever is right gets a point," Raph told him. "The one with the most points has to do the loser's chores for a week." Leo agreed, and they watched the arrest unfold. As it turned out, Leo was right as the person had marijuana stashed on him. The two Turtles continued their game until both became tired again. Leo was the winner, so Raph had to do Leo's chores for a week which he accepted fairly well to Leo's surprise.

Raph noticed the joyful expression on his brother's face. "You feelin' better, Leo?"

Leo smiled. "Yeah, I am," he said. "Thanks for suggesting this, Raph. It was fun."

Raph put his arm around his brother's shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Anytime, bro," he said. "We'd better get some sleep before practice tomorrow, or Sensei won't be too happy."

Leo nodded and headed to his room. Raph wanted to stay with him, but Leo assured him he'd be fine. The rest of his night wasn't marred by nightmares, and he knew he had Raph to thank for that. He only hoped that the rest of his nights would be that way, too.

22222

The next morning, the Turtles and their sister Miwa went to the dojo only to find that Splinter wasn't here. Confused, they went to find him and saw that he was in the living area next to the pool.

"My students, we will not be practicing in the dojo this morning," Splinter explained as they all assembled in front of him. "Today we will be conducting a new exercise." He motioned to the pool of water in the middle of the Lair. Instead of the tire swing that normally hung there, there were rings such as ones the gymnasts would use in the Olympics. "This exercise is very simple. One of you will attempt to cross the pool using the rings while your opponent will attempt to knock you down and prevent you from reaching your goal. Your objective is to cross the pool without your opponent knocking you down."

Mikey's blue eyes lit up. "Dudes, this is just like American Gladiators, right, Sensei?"

Splinter chuckled at his youngest son. "Yes, Michelangelo, just like American Gladiators," he replied. "Leonardo, you will be the first to attempt to cross the pool, and Raphael will be your opponent."

Both Turtles bowed to him and ascended the ladder that led to the starting point. Once there, Leo took a position and waited until Splinter gave the command to begin. Then he launched himself toward the first ring and then swung to the next one. After a short time, Splinter gave Raph the command to begin and he began pursuing his brother in an attempt to thwart his goal.

Leo was going at a steady pace but then his hand slipped, causing him to lose his grip. He recovered and looked down. But instead of the calm waters of the pool below him, he saw deadly flames and could feel the heat on his body. Alarmed, he turned to Raph to see if he noticed the same thing, but instead of Raph being behind him, he saw the form of Robyn O'Neil. Robyn's face was twisted into an evil smirk as she attempted to knock Leo off and to his doom.

"No!" Leo begged. "Stay away from me!" He kicked out at her, attempting to knock her into the flames but his foot missed, causing him to lose his grip on the ring. With a cry, he fell into the flames with no one to catch him. But when he landed, he felt wet instead of the hot flames. Why would that be? Then he saw that he was in the water and struggled to get out but he didn't have the strength. He was going to die here, and no one would ever know.

Suddenly, he felt someone grab his arm and pull him to safety. He wanted to fight, thinking it was Robyn, but he didn't have the strength to do so and just let whoever it was pull him up. He felt them reach the surface and began gasping and coughing, trying to fight for air. Raph laid Leo on his side while water continued to pour from his mouth and he continued coughing. The red-clad Turtle rubbed circles on Leo's shell and soothed, "It's okay, buddy. Everything's gonna be okay."

"Mikey, get some towels for Leo and Raph," Don ordered.

Mikey did so and came back with two towels, wrapping them around his brothers. Splinter and Miwa ushered them to the couch so that they could get warm while Splinter went to make some tea.

"Raph, I have to tell Sensei about last night," Leo whispered.

"That can wait, bro," Raph replied. "Just get warm first."

Splinter returned with two cups of tea. "Here, my sons, this will warm you up."

Leo drank slowly and fixed his eyes on his father. "Sensei, there's something I have to tell you," he began.

"What is it, Leonardo?" Splinter asked him.

"Leo, this can wait," Raph insisted.

Leo turned on his brother, his blue eyes filled with anger. "No, it can't wait," he insisted. "Splinter needs to know."

"Raphael, let your brother speak," Splinter chastised. Then he turned to Leo. "Go ahead, my son."

Leo took a deep breath. "I think the hallucination I just had along with the nightmare I had last night were both caused by what we saw last night on patrol."

"And what did you encounter last night, my son?"

"We encountered a girl," Leo answered and began to tell his father the story.

22222

It was another clear night in New York as Leo and his brothers went out on their nightly patrol. Miwa had begged Splinter to allow her to come, but he had denied her request, stating that the Foot were still searching for her and until they gave up, it wasn't safe for her to be out. Although Miwa was disappointed she accepted her father's decision and had stayed with him. Leo felt bad for her and had offered to appeal to Splinter on her behalf, but she had refused and had told him to just go on without her.

"Man, there doesn't seem to be any action tonight," Raph noted, snapping Leo out of his thoughts.

"Trust me, Raph, there will be action," Leo reassured him. "It's not like the Foot to just give up so easily. They'll be looking for any excuse to engage in battle."

"Hey, I brought a hackey sack," Mikey piped up. "We can play that while we wait."

Leo rounded on his little brother. "Mikey this isn't the time to play games," he lectured. "We have to stay alert at all times."

"Well, there's four of us, so one of us can keep watch while the others play," Mikey told him. "Not it!"

"Not it!" Raph seconded.

"Not it!" Don added. "I guess that means you have to keep watch, Leo!"

The blue-clad Turtle sighed in frustration. This was the one time he really hated the "Not It!" game, a game April had taught them and had stolen from some of the jocks in her class. He turned away from his brothers, but what happened next was something he wouldn't forget for a long time.

Someone giggled and said, "Hey, I know that game."

All four Turtles turned and took out their weapons at the sound of the voice. A figure came out from behind the chimney. Leo cursed himself for not sensing the human's presence earlier and wondered if he was losing his ninja skills. The girl stopped and studied the Turtles and they studied her. She had dark hair tied up in a ponytail and was wearing a long sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers. Her face was heavily scarred, and her blue eyes stared at them with curiosity but no fear. As Leo stared at her, he felt that there was something familiar about her eyes, and upon looking at his brothers' reactions, he could tell that they noticed it too.

She smiled at them. "You guys look like you've seen a ghost," she remarked. "You can put away your weapons. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Leo decided to speak up. "Why aren't you scared of us?" he asked her.

"Because I've seen you before," she answered.

"Wait, have you known us a long time?" Don asked.

"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't," she said. "Stop looking so nervous, Donnie."

"How do you know my brother's name?" Leo demanded.

"Because I've been watching you this whole time, Leo," she answered. She noticed the scared look in Leo's eyes and smiled. "You look scared, Leo. Are you afraid I'm gonna hurt you?"

"You'd better not!" Raph growled, taking a defensive stance in front of his brother. "How did you get those scars on your face?"

The girl glared at him. "That's none of your business," she said firmly.

"What's your name?" Mikey asked her.

"My, you're nosy," she taunted. "My name's Lynn Obiero." Then she stared at Mikey and smiled at him. "I bet you're the type who likes to make a lot of friends."

"Hey, back off, Lady!" Raph warned. "He doesn't want to be friends with you."

Lynn giggled. "That's too bad," she said. "I really want to be friends with you guys. Maybe I will be one day. Well, I have to go now. I'll see you boys around." She waved to them and disappeared over the side of the building.

"Guys, did you just see what I saw?" Don asked his brothers.

"Yeah, there's somethin' fishy about that chick," replied Raph.

"No, I'm talking about her eyes and her face," insisted Don.

"Her face was heavily scarred," commented Leo.

"And her eyes looked just like April's," added Don.

"Wait, you think that Lynn is Robyn?" asked Raph skeptically.

"There was something about her that was familiar," mused Mikey. "She acted like she's known us for a long time."

"No way!" scoffed Raph. "Robyn's dead."

"Raph, think carefully about this," said Leo. "Her face was scarred like it was burned in a fire. Her eyes are the same shade of blue as April's and she acted like she's known us for a long time. Who else could it be?"

"A girl who's just playin' with us," replied Raph. "Look, next time we see her, we'll ask her about April and Robyn. Then that'll prove that she's not Robyn O'Neil."

Leo really wasn't sure how any of them could prove that, but he wasn't in the mood for arguing about it. "I'll talk to Sensei about this and see what he says. In the meantime, let's just finish our patrol and go home."

22222

"So, you assume that the woman you saw was Robyn?" Splinter asked him when Leo was done with the story.

"Only Leo, Donnie, and Mikey do," Raph replied before Leo could answer.

"It makes sense, Raph," Don told him. "I even wrote out her name, and it matches as an anagram for Robyn O'Neil."

"Uh, Donnie, her name is Lynn Obiero, not Anna Graham," Mikey corrected him.

"Mikey, an anagram is a word that can be rearranged to make a new word," Don told him.

"Donnie, this is ridiculous," said Raph. "It's all just a coincidence."

"Or maybe she really is Robyn using a different name," Leo interjected. "What do you think, Sensei?"

"I must say that this is a very unusual case," Splinter replied. "There is no way of knowing what is true and what is not. My advice would be to get to know her a bit more and see if she will talk about herself and her past."

"So, you're saying we have to befriend her?" Leo asked him.

He nodded. "It's the best way to learn the truth."

"Uh, no offense, Sensei, but in case you've forgotten, we tried that before and almost got killed," pointed out Mikey.

"I am aware of that, Michelangelo," answered Splinter. "But if you avoid her, you will never know for certain whether she is Robyn or not."

"Maybe I could help out," Miwa offered. "After all, I know how being evil works, and I would be able to tell you what her true motivations are."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Mikey agreed.

"I agree that one cannot have too many eyes and ears out," Splinter remarked. "But for now it would be ill-advisable for you to do anything until we are certain the Foot have given up searching for you, Miwa."

"We can always just take her out with us," Don suggested.

"Yeah, she'll be safe with us," Leo pointed out. "She can't hide forever. I think it would be best if she came with us and faced the Foot. She'll be safe because we'll be with her, and she's more than capable of taking the Foot on herself if she needs to."

Splinter sighed. "You are right, Leonardo," he said. "Miwa has proven that she is skilled enough to take down any foe she encounters. I am acting like an overprotective father who lacks confidence in his children and for that, I apologize. You may go tomorrow."

"What about tonight?" Miwa asked him.

"It's supposed to rain tonight, and the roofs might be too slippery," Don pointed out. "We try not to go out when it's raining so we don't get hurt."

After the arrangements were settled, they all went their separate ways. Leo retired to his room to think about what had been decided. While befriending Lynn was the best way to find out whether she was Robyn or not was the logical thing to do, Leo couldn't help but feel some trepidation at the thought of it. What if she was Robyn and tried to kill them again? Wasn't Leo putting his family at risk by agreeing to this? Then again, what if she wasn't Robyn at all and was just teasing them? What would be the harm in being friends with her? Deciding not to worry about it at the moment, Leo settled down and closed his eyes.

Little did Leo know just what harm it would cause and what this mission would lead to.

A/N: Wow, that was a long one, huh? Almost fourteen pages! I really didn't think it would be that long. So, things are really heating up now. Is Lynn really Robyn, or is she just a normal girl who's playing with their minds? You'll have to read on and find out. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Angels and Demons

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post this up, but I'm juggling multiple stories, so I can only focus on one at a time. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. It means so much to me that you like the sequel so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot to the story.

Two days later, the rain let up, and the Turtles were able to go on patrol. Raph gave them directions on where they were to go and what time they were to meet back at the starting point. He decided to have Don, Mikey, and even Miwa go solo while Leo stayed with Raph. This caused Leo to get mad.

"That's not fair, Raph!" Leo protested. "You're letting Mikey, Don, and Miwa go solo. Why do I have to have a chaperone?"

Raph leveled his brother with a stare. "Because Sensei told me to keep an eye on you," he answered. "Miwa's gonna be fine, and Splinter has faith that she'll be safe on her own. You're the one we have to worry about."

Leo sighed. "It's just not fair," he grumbled throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Hey, I'm the leader now, and it's my job to make sure you're safe," Raph reminded his brother. "So stop complainin' and just listen to me for once." He was starting to get tired of being the leader and really hoped Leo's issues would clear up soon.

Then Miwa spoke up. "How about if Leo and I patrol together instead?" she suggested. "I can keep an eye on him and make sure he's okay. I can tell that if you guys get together, you'll kill each other in a heartbeat."

Raph smirked. "And how do you know that?" he asked her.

"I can just tell by the way you're glaring daggers at each other," she noted.

The red-clad Turtle sighed. "Okay, fine, you can work together," he said.

Miwa smiled. "Looks like it's just you and me, little bro," she teased Leo.

"Very funny sis," Leo retorted. It was still hard for him to resign himself to the fact that Miwa was older than him since he had always been the oldest in the family. Btu being Splinter's daughter put her as the oldest since she was born first.

Raph laughed and said, "Okay, enough screwin' around. Miwa, keep an eye on Leo. If anything happens, call me right away."

"Got it, Chief," Miwa said, giving him a salute. Then she turned to Leo and gave him a teasing smile. "Race you!" she called and sprinted away. Leo rolled his eyes and raced after her. Raph chuckled before starting on his own patrol.

Raph was still on edge after what had happened to Leo in practice two days ago. He could tell Leo still wasn't healed from what had happened with Robyn, and he was scared for his brother. He didn't want anything to happen to Leo and he was determined to do anything he could to protect him from harm.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a commotion coming from one of the alleys. He headed over to the source of the sound and saw the Purple Dragons cornering a girl in the alley.

"Go home, little girl," Fong said. "This ain't no place for you."

Enraged, she pulled her fist back and socked Fong in the face. "I'm not a little girl, asshole!" she snarled. "I'm sixteen years old! Now, tell me where my brother is!"

Raph had to marvel at her courage. He'd never seen anyone stand up to Fong and his thugs like that except for Murakami.

Fong clutched his cheek and growled. "Just for that, we ain't gonna tell you nothin'." He made a motion with his hand, and Sid and Tsoi cornered her.

Raph took that as his cue to intervene and leaped down off of the roof before they could do anything to her. "Geez, what is it with you guys and hasslin' the ladies? This is the third time this week I've had to run you guys off. Why don't you guys be smart and tell the young lady what she wants to know?"

"We ain't tellin' her nothin', freak, so stay out of this!" snapped Fong.

"Then if you won't help her, maybe I will," Raph said. "You guys better scram if you know what's good for ya." The Dragons did just that, not wanting to get involved in a fight with the Turtle. Then Raph turned to the girl. "What's your brother's name?"

"Xever," she answered. Seeing her closely, Raph saw that she had black hair with purple streaks in it and dark skin. Her eyes looked just like Xever's had when he was human, too. The girl looked scared of him, so he tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"I can take you to your brother," he told her. "I know where he is, but he isn't the same guy you remember."

"What do you mean?" the girl asked him.

"He got mutated by the same stuff that transformed me from a pet turtle to what I am now," Raph said and told her what Xever was now and how he was working for the Shredder. He wasn't sure she believed him but he knew she'd find out for herself soon enough. Luckily, they managed to find Fishface and some Foot Ninjas by a warehouse. Raph didn't see Dogpound anywhere and had to wonder why the dog mutant wasn't with Fishface since they normally worked together.

"Okay, stay here," Raph instructed the girl. "I'll go to him and tell him you want to see him."

"Is that fish mutant my brother?" asked the girl.

"Yep, that's your brother," he replied. "Now let me do the talking." He stepped out of the shadows and called to Fishface, "Hey, Fishface, long time, no see."

Fishface whirled around, a look of disgust on his face. "Yes, it has been a long time, Raphael. And where are your brothers? The four of you usually stick together. Are there family troubles?"

"No, we just decided to split up on patrol," answered Raph. He eyed the Foot Ninjas who were poised to attack and awaiting Fishface's instructions. "What are you doin' here anyway?"

"We are searching for Karai," replied Fishface. "She has betrayed our Master and must be dealt with. You haven't seen her by any chance, have you?"

Raph shook his head. "Nope," he said. "Hey, where's Dogpound? You guys are usually tied at the hip."

"He is in another part of the city doing the same thing as we are," Fishface responded. "I do not believe you came here to exchange pleasantries with me, so what brings you here?"

"There's someone who's lookin' for you, so I brought her here to see you," replied Raph. Then he motioned to the shadows and called, "You can come out now, kid!"

The girl finally approached and seemed unsure as to what to do. The minute Fishface saw her, his eyes widened in shock.

"Angel?" he gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you," answered Angel. "Why didn't you contact us?"

"I was busy here," responded Fishface. "Besides, none of you cared about what happened to me. You thought I was stupid for going to America. Why are you even here?"

"I'm staying with Grandma now," she said. "Our parents were killed by rival gang members, and I was forced to come here to live because she's the only relative I have now besides you. I came to find you because I don't want to live with Grandma. I would rather stay with you."

"Angel, I can't take care of you," said Fishface. "I have bigger things to do without you getting I the way. Go back to Abuela and let me be. This isn't the place for you." Then he turned to Raph. "Take her back," he commanded. "You shouldn't have brought her here."

"Hey, I did this as a favor for you after you saved my life in Stockman's maze," Raph told him. "And whether you like it or not, she's still your family, and families never turn their backs on each other."

"The Foot is my family now," Fishface retorted. "Take her back and don't bring her here again."

Raph glared at him then motioned for Angel to go with him. "C'mon, kid, he doesn't care about you anymore."

Angel turned her eyes on her brother. "Xever, please," she begged. "I need you right now."

"Sorry, Angel, but that's not my life anymore," he replied. He turned to Raph. "Take care of her for me. Make sure that she is safe from harm. That is how you can repay your debt. Be the brother to her that I cannot be anymore."

Raph nodded and left with Angel behind him. He was angry at Xever for turning Angel away, and he knew that it was up to him to protect Angel just as Xever wanted him to. He wasn't happy about it, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He decided to ask her an important question. "So, where does your grandma live?" he asked her.

Angel turned on him. "Don't bother!" she spat. "I don't want to live with her! I want to live with my brother!"

"But you heard him, Angel," Raph told her. "He doesn't want to live with you. You only have your grandma now, so you have no choice. She's taken care of you up to now anyway, so you might as well just stay there."

"I hate her!" Angel snapped. "She doesn't love me! All she does is talk about is how horrible my parents and brother were and how she doesn't want me to be the same way."

"Well, she's just lookin' out for you. You've seen what your brother's into now. You really don't need to get mixed up in that. Besides, your brother's not exactly human anymore. I don't like that he turned you away, but he has a point that he can't take care of you now. Your grandma can give you a good life and you should take it. Where else would you go?"

"I don't care!" she responded. "I'm not going back there, and you can't stop me!" And with that, she turned into one of the alleyways and disappeared from sight. Raph thought about going after her, but he really wasn't in the mood to be chasing a sixteen-year-old when she didn't want to be caught. He decided he'd keep an eye on her later and figured she was tough enough to fend for herself for now. Debt or not, he really didn't want to have the burden of looking after a teenager when he had other things to worry about. He left the alley and headed for home.

"Tough break, Raph," a voice from the shadows said.

Raph whirled around, sais drawn, to see Lynn leaning against a chimney. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Just hanging out," she answered. "You really do have bad luck with the ladies, Raph."

"There's nothin' goin' on between us," Raph told her. "I was just helpin' her out."

"Well, looks like you failed at that," she retorted. "I thought you guys were supposed to be the unsung heroes of the city."

"How do you even know about that?" Raph asked her.

Lynn smiled. "You'd be surprised what you can find out if you just listen."

"Look, I've been meaning to talk to you," Raph began. "Do you know the story about April O'Neil?"

"Of course I know about April," she replied.

"How do you know about her?"

She laughed. "That's for me to know and you to find out. Well, I've got to go. I'll see you around, Raph." Before he could say anything else, she disappeared over the side of the roof.

"Dammit!" Raph cursed. This just wasn't his night. Suddenly his T-phone rang, causing him to let out a frustrated sigh. He saw that Miwa was calling and picked up.

"What's up, sis?" he asked.

"Leo's hurt," she answered. "We got attacked by Foot Ninjas. We're on our way to the Lair now."

"Okay, I'll meet you there," Raph said and hung up. He was furious at Leo for engaging the Foot like that. Why didn't he use the smoke bombs like Raph had told him to do? One thing was for sure: He was going to get a good lecture when Raph got to him.

When he arrived at the Lair, he found all of them in the infirmary as Don stitched up Leo's wound.

"What happened?" Raph demanded.

"We were just racing each other when the Foot came out of nowhere," Miwa answered. "Leo was going to use a smoke bomb, but they attacked before he could get to it. He got stabbed saving me from getting struck with a katana."

"The wound's not deep, so he should be fine," Don added.

"You could have still used a smoke bomb," Raph chastised his brother. "You shouldn't have retaliated like that."

"I had no choice, Raph!" Leo replied. "They were on the lookout for us, and they attacked before we could do anything. If I hadn't retaliated, Miwa would be dead right now."

"You didn't have to jump in and try to be the hero!" Raph told him. "You could have just gotten away."

"Yes, I did!" Leo retorted. "Just because you're the leader now doesn't mean you have to yell at me for doing the right thing!"

"Well, if you would just stop actin' crazy and do your job, I wouldn't have to!" snarled Raph.

"Raphael! That is enough!" chastised Splinter. "Leonardo's intentions were good, and at least he got away safely!"

Leo's eyes went wide then narrowed as he clenched his fists. Raph thought Leo was going to attack him, but he turned and went to his room. Raph was so angry at himself. How could things have gone so horribly wrong? He'd intended to tell everyone about Angel and his confrontation with Lynn, but instead he'd blown up at Leo. He had to get things back on track so he turned to Don and Mikey.

"What happened to you two?" he asked them.

"Nothing happened," Don said stiffly. "We patrolled and there was no activity." He glared at his brother and left the infirmary. Splinter had left to go after Leo, and Miwa had followed him, so only Mikey was still with Raph.

"Don and I didn't see Lynn, but we saw some Foot Ninjas patrolling," Mikey told him. "They didn't see us though, so we just decided to keep on going. What happened to you, Raph?"

Raph told Mikey about his run in with Lynn and about Angel and Xever. Mikey seemed intrigued by the story but waited until Raph was finished before he spoke up.

"Maybe Angel needs a friend," he suggested. "She's all alone now and has no one to turn to."

"I don't think she wants that, Mikey," Raph said firmly. "I think she just wants to be with her brother."

"Well I'm still gonna try and talk to her," Mikey declared.

Raph rolled his green eyes. "Good luck with that, bro," he said. He doubted Mikey would get anywhere with Angel, but he knew he wouldn't be able to stop Mikey from befriending the girl. With a wave to his younger brother, Raph went to his room, resolving to patch things up with Leo in the morning. He didn't want things to be tense between them. In the meantime, the mystery concerning Lynn was what bothered him now. He wanted to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. She definitely knew more than she was letting on, and Raph couldn't help but think that Robyn was alive and was trying to find a way to get rid of them for good.

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. It's weird to see Leo and Raph in a role reversal, but that's what's happening here, and I'm having so much fun with it. More mystery surrounding Lynn, and I was happy to add Angel to the mix, too. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'll do my best to have it up as soon as I can. I'm kind of juggling quite a few stories here plus I have personal family issues to deal with. If I don't write for a while then that's the reason why I'm putting things on hold. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Perfect Chemistry

A/N: Hey, I know it's been a little while, but other stories and sinus troubles have been slowing me down. But now it's time for me to get back into the grind and get more of this story updated since I've waited long enough. Sorry to leave you guys hanging like that. I'll do my best not to let it happen again. I feel so horrible about it so feel free to throw objects at me if you so desire. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of this story.

Donnie hummed as he worked on fixing Mikey's Nintendo Wii controller that broke after Raph hurled it at the TV after he lost a game. Don normally would have been upset, but he was in a good mood because he was going to spend some time with Irma. She was still in college, but she was tired o studying and wanted to take a break from all of the work the professors were piling up on her. So when she called Don and asked if he wanted to spend time with her, he'd happily agreed.

It had been difficult for Don to do anything after April's death because he felt horrible about what had happened to her and because he had loved her. But after Splinter had showed him how to contact her through the astral plane, things had gotten better for the purple-clad Turtle, and he had finally gotten the strength to move on. He was going talk to Irma about April and how he'd loved her, something he hadn't had the chance to do over the summer.

"Well, that should do it," he said as he looked over the controller. "I just hope Raph doesn't decide to break it again when he loses." He left the lab and found Mikey watching TV and cleared his throat, holding out the controller.

Mikey's blue eyes lit up. "Dude, you fixed it!" he cried, rushing over and giving Don a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You're the best, Donnie!"

Don smiled and handed his brother the controller. "Don't mention it, Mikey," he replied. "And, Raph, try not to break it again."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry," Raph grumbled. "I just don't like it when I lose."

"Well, now that I'm finished for the day, I'm going to go out with Irma," Don declared.

"Wait, you're goin' with her on an actual date?" asked Raph.

"Yeah, sort of," answered Don. "I mean, we're technically not dating yet, so it's a friends type of thing."

"I'm glad you're moving on, Donnie," said Leo gently. "That's what April would want for you to do."

"You're lucky you've got someone to go out with," said Mikey sadly.

"Oh, cheer up, Mikey," soothed Don. "I'm sure Oyuki will come back. She just needs to be with her mom right now."

"I know, but I still miss her," said Mikey.

"Well mopin' around doesn't help," replied Raph. "Take a leaf outta Donnie's book and live a little."

"Hey, I live plenty!" protested Mikey. "I went out skateboarding just yesterday!"

"No one's saying anything differently, Mikey," Leo reassured him. "We just don't want you to mope around and be sad."

"I'm not mopin'!" said Mikey. "I just said I miss her, that's all."

"Donatello, are you leaving now?" Splinter asked him as he exited the dojo.

"Yes, I was thinking about leaving now," he answered.

"Then be careful, my son," Splinter told him.

"Yeah, Donnie, make sure you practice safe sex so that you don't get Irma knocked up," teased Raph.

Don glared at him. "I'll have you know that it is scientifically impossible for me to impregnate Irma due to our biological differences. We could still have sexual intercourse, but there's no danger of me getting her pregnant since she's a human and I'm a mutant turtle, so there's no need to worry about that. Of course, it would be a good area of study to see how our mutation makes us different to humans in that regard, but I don't think Irma would be up for that."

"Okay, you just scarred me for life, Donnie," said Mikey, covering his eyes. "I SO did not want to hear that."

"Yeah, keep that to yourself, Einstein, and get out of here before you miss your date," added Raph.

Leo didn't laugh at Donnie, but put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Have a good time, Donnie, and be careful," he cautioned. "If you need anything, you know where to reach me."

"Thanks, Leo," Don said. He waved to his brothers and father and headed out to go meet Irma.

He met Irma in an alleyway next to a coffee shop. Irma had suggested it though Don had been reluctant about it. She'd assured him that she had pepper spray just in case anyone tried to bother her. He smiled when he saw her waiting for him.

"Hey there, Stranger," she teased. "Long time, no see."

"It definitely seems that way, doesn't it?" Don agreed. "So how are things with you?"

"Pretty good," Irma answered. "I just needed a break from the schoolwork. How are you holding up, Donnie?"

"Pretty good," Don replied. "Much bête than I was."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Irma. "Do you want to get some coffee?"

"As much as I'd love to, I don't think I'd be able to go in there," laughed Don. "Actually, I wanted to take you to the park."

"Oh, the one where April used to study all of the time? Yeah, I like that place. I go there to study sometimes, too, if the weather is good."

It surprised Don that she had no objections to going to the park. When they arrived, Irma sat down on one of the swings, and Don began to push her, just as he used to do with April.

"Did you guys used to come here with April?" Irma asked him.

"Yeah, a few times," Don told her. He remembered the first time they'd taken her to the park right after she started to live with them. She had been feeling stir crazy, and Do had suggested going to the park so she wouldn't be cooped up all of the time. Splinter had been reluctant about it, but in the end he'd allowed it because he knew it wasn't fair to keep April from going to the surface, and she would be with his sons, so he knew she'd be safe. It had been a fun night, and Mikey had taken a picture of Don pushing April on the swing because he thought it was cute.

"Wow, you must have had fun," Irma commented when Don finished telling her the story.

Don nodded. "Yeah, it was a lot of fun," he admitted. "So did you know that April had a twin sister?"

Irma shook her head. "No, but I thought it was weird when I'd ask April if she could hang out, and she'd tell me she couldn't because of family issues. Now I know it was because she was visiting her lunatic sister. I just can't believe she didn't tell either of us about it. Doesn't that make you mad?"

Don shook his head. "No because she had no choice," he answered. "She had to respect her father's wishes."

"So you don't feel betrayed?"

"No, If she could have told us, she would have. Besides, it's over and done with now. What's the point in holding a grudge, especially when April's dead now?"

Irma sighed. "I guess you have a point there," she conceded. "You know, April talked about you a lot."

"Me and my brothers you mean?" Don asked her.

"Yeah, but she talked about you the most," said Irma. "She would tell me about things you did together and how she really liked you. I have to admit, Donnie, I was jealous of the two of you."

"Because she spent more time with me than with you?"

"No because she loved you, and I wished that I could have a romance like that," admitted Irma.

Don's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, you loved April too?"

She laughed. "No, not at all. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that type of relationship, but I was jealous that she had someone who really cared about her. After I met you and learned how you knew her, I began to see why she was attracted to you. And as I got to know you more, I began to see you as more than just a friend. But I wasn't sure if you liked me in that way because you loved April, and I knew it was hard to get over her. So I just tried to accept that we'd just be friends even though it was hard for me to do so."

Don was shocked at her words. He'd had no idea that Irma had had a crush on him. What had it felt like for her to listen to April go on and on about him and feel like she would never have that, too? And what must it have been like for her to still feel that way after April's death while he still mourned for her best friend and only saw her as a causal acquaintance?

"Irma, I had no idea you felt that way about me," he finally said.

"Yeah, but I know you don't feel that way about me," she said. "You just see me as a friend, and I'm okay with that."

"Well, actually, Irma, I've begun to see you as more than that," he confessed. "I was just afraid to show it because I was still mourning April and holding out hope that she'd come back. But that's all over now, and I'm ready to move on with my life."

Irma's eyes lit up. "You mean you're finally over April?"

"Well, it would be absurd for me to be in love with a dead girl," he joked. "I think it's time for me to move on to a girl who's very much alive, don't you think?"

Irma blushed at his words. "Yeah, I guess," she answered. "Do you think it'll work out?"

Don nodded. "It may take some time, but I do think it will work, and I think this is something April would want for both of us."

"I think so, too," Irma agreed.

"This may sound weird, but do you mind if I….gave you a kiss?" Don asked her.

Irma blushed a little and smiled. "I was hoping you'd want to," she said. She tilted her head up until her lips met his. The kiss wasn't very long, but Don felt the same feelings he'd had when both April and Robyn had kissed him. Well, with both of them, it had been curiosity that had driven him to kiss them, but this was something more.

"Wow!" Irma breathed. "So that's what it's like to kiss someone. Now I know why April was so excited when she kissed you."

"April told you about that?" Don asked her.

"Well, yeah, she did," replied Irma. "She said it was the best feeling in the world, and she'd never felt happier."

"But wasn't she confused? When it happened, she pulled away from me and seemed shocked that it had happened."

"She was a little confused but also happy," explained Irma. "She wasn't sure how to feel about it, but when I asked her what it was like, that's when she said it was the best feeling in the world."

Her words made Don feel happy but also sad. Robyn had said something similar to Donnie about April, but Donnie had doubted her words after it was revealed she'd actually hated April. But he knew Irma was telling the truth. That was one thing he liked about her. She was always so honest about things. Donnie had been so confused himself about it, but now he knew what Robyn's game had been. She'd been using them for her own designs and had used their desires to lure them in.

And they had almost died because of it.

"Donnie, are you okay?" Irma asked him.

Don snapped out of his thoughts. "Uh, yeah, I was just thinking," he said.

"About what?" she prodded.

"April's crazy twin," he told her. "I just can't believe we fell for her bait. We were so stupid."

"It wasn't your fault," Irma reassured him. "You wanted to believe that some part of April was still there, and she took advantage of that. It probably would have happened the same way anyway."

"Yeah, probably," Don agreed. "I guess Sensei's right when he says we shouldn't dwell on the past but focus on the here and now."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," said Irma seductively.

Don blushed at her words. "Well, yes, that's true," he said "Speaking of which, I think it's time for me to take you back to the dorm. You do have class in the morning."

Irma nodded and allowed him to escort her to the dorm. When they arrived, she turned to him and said, "Well, I guess that's all for tonight, unless you want to come up to my room."

Don blushed at her words, but he also felt tempted to take her up on that offer. Even though he'd kissed April, they hadn't gone further than that. Don had hoped that one day they would, but it had never happened. Don had been curious about sex, and though he knew about the basics of it through the Internet and textbooks, he'd wanted to really experience it. Now was his chance to try something even his brothers hadn't tried. How awesome would it be to brag to his brothers about his intimate moment with Irma? But a voice in his head said now wasn't the right time. After all, they had shared their first kiss, an most couples didn't proceed to the next step right away.

"Um, not tonight Irma," he stuttered. "I need to get going."

"Well, okay," Irma said with a smile. "Maybe we could do this again some other time."

"Oh, definitely," Don agreed. He would never miss an opportunity to spend time with Irma.

"Great. See you around." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and headed into her dorm. Don waited until she was safely inside before he went back home via the rooftops.

But before he could leap to the next roof, a voice said, "Boy, that was a stupid move, Donnie." He whirled around, his bo staff out and ready to take on an attacker and was surprised to see Lynn leaning up against a chimney. What was she doing out here?

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded. "How long have you been out here?"

Lynn laughed. "Long enough to hear your conversation," she replied. "And as for what I meant, you passed up on a good opportunity. But then again, you've done that before, haven't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Don replied.

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about, Donnie," Lynn told him. "You're always drawn to girls who are like you, but you never want to commit to them."

"And why is that any of your business?"

"Because it shows me how clueless you are when it comes to relationships," Lynn answered. "First April and now Irma. You really need some help."

"No I don't!" Don snapped. "I know what I'm doing. Just stay out of this, Lynn!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Donnie," she said. "You need me."

"Why do we need you?"

"You'll find out soon enough," she answered evasively. "Well, I've got to go. I'll see you around."

"Wait!" Donnie cried, but Lynn was gone. Don was so fed up with all of this. He knew Splinter wanted them to get close to Lynn, but that was hard because of her leaving before they could even talk to her. But they would have to keep trying until they got the answers they were looking for from her. It was the only way.

When Don came home he found Leo watching TV and waiting up for him. Don thought about telling Leo about seeing Lynn but felt the blue-clad Turtle didn't need to hear about that after all he'd been through.

"So how was your time with Irma?" Leo asked him.

"It was good," Don replied. "Why are you up so late?"

"I had another nightmare," Leo answered. "They just keep getting worse. Maybe you could give me some sleeping pills to help me out."

"No way, Leo," said Don. "I am not giving you pills to help you sleep. That's too dangerous because you could get addicted to them."

"But I've tried everything else, and nothing seems to be working!" protested Leo. "I promise I won't become addicted, and I'll let you keep the bottles so I don't take too many."

"I'm sorry, Leo, but I can't do that," replied Don, and before Leo could protest any further, Don went to his room and shut the door. He really felt sorry for Leo and what he was going through, but Don knew pills weren't the answer to the problem. Leo needed to find a proper outlet for this whole thing. This was why they needed answers from Lynn. The sooner they found out whether Robyn was alive or not, the better it would be for all of them.

A/N: Wow! Eleven full pages! That's a long one for sure. Once again, I'm sorry that I left you hanging like that, and I'll do my best not to let it happen again, but you never know what may happen in the long run. I'll try and have an update sooner, but I can't make any promises with how things go with me. In the meantime feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Saving Grace

A/N: And here's another chapter. I promised I would give you more, and I want to be true to my word on that. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and any characters you don't recognize.

Mikey was thinking about Angel as he doodled in his drawing pad. Since April disappeared, Mikey had stopped drawing, but after everything that had happened with Robyn, he had started doing it again as a way to distract himself from everything. He couldn't concentrate on anything right now though. No matter what Raph said, Angel needed a friend to help out and be there for her, and Mikey felt he was just the Turtle for the job.

With that in mind, Mikey decided to visit Murakami's. He'd been so busy with patrol that he hadn't had a chance to stop by and visit for a while. He wanted to know if Oyuki had written to her uncle and how she was doing. After telling his brothers and Sensei where he was going, Mikey grabbed his gear and headed off to Murakami's.

As he ran across the rooftops, the orange-clad Turtle felt so happy. It felt good to be out on the surface where he could just have fun and not worry about anything else. He wasn't even worried about Robyn anymore because he felt she was gone for good and that Lynn was just playing with them. Sure, he was worried about Leo, but his brother just needed to stop worrying and relax.

"Hey, let go of me!" a voice yelled down below, stopping Mikey in his tracks. He pulled out his nunchucks and followed the sound of the voice, ready to come to the person's aid. He saw Fong and the Purple Dragons surrounding a girl who appeared to be Mikey's age or a bit older.

"Look, girlie, your brother promised us some money," Fong told her. "But since he's a freak now, he can't pay up, so you have to."

"I don't have any money!" she protested.

Fong chuckled. "No, but your grandma does," he replied.

The girl gasped. "You leave her out of this! She has nothing to do with what my brother has done!" she yelled.

"If you can't do as we say, then you'll have to pay the price," said Fong. He pulled out a switchblade and held it in front of the girl.

Mikey had seen enough. With a yell of, "Booyakasha!" he jumped down into the alley, his nunchucks out as he hit Sid in the head. Tsoi saw this and went for Mikey, but out of nowhere, a hockey stick collided with Tsoi's head, knocking him out cold. Mikey gasped as a guy in a hockey mask stared down at Tsoi's limp body. Where had he come from?

"And that's what you get for messin' with a lady," he said. Then he turned to Fong. "You want some, too?"

Terrified, Fong grabbed Tsoi and dragged Sid away from the chaos, not wanting to get in a fight with the vigilante.

While the guy was looking at the Dragon's retreating figures, Mikey hurried over to the girl. "You okay?" he asked her.

"Get away from me, freak!" she snarled, pulling away from him.

Hearing her cry, the guy in the hockey mask hurried over to them. "You better get away from her before I try to teach you a lesson, too," he threatened.

"Dude, chill out," Mikey said, raising his hands in a polite gesture. "I'm not gonna hurt her."

The guy rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said and then turned to the girl. "What the hell do you think you're doin', Angel? Those guys are Purple Dragons. They only want one thing from the likes of you."

"I didn't do anything, Casey!" Angel yelled. "I was just walking by when they confronted me about money my brother owed them. Why are you even here?"

"I promised your grandma I'd keep an eye on you," Casey replied.

Angel bristled. "So you've been spying on me?" she demanded.

"Hey, somebody has to," he retorted. "You're a magnet for trouble, Angel. First your brother, and now you."

"I wasn't joining up with the Dragons," Angel told him. "They confronted me about some money my brother owed them, but since he's not here to give it to them, they thought I'd do it instead."

"She's telling the truth," Mikey piped up. "I saw the whole thing. Fong threatened to kill her and I came down to stop him. Then you showed up, and you know the rest."

"You need to stay out of this, freak!" snapped Casey.

"Says the guy in the weird hockey mask," retorted Mikey. "Why don't you take it off and face me like a man?"

"Hey, you're wearin' a mask, too," said Casey. "Besides, you don't need to see my face." He turned to Angel. "Let's go, Angel. I'm takin' you home."

"Maybe I should take her home instead," offered Mikey.

"No, you can crawl back to wherever you came from," answered Casey. "I'll take it from here."

Mikey stepped toward Casey. "I was here before you, so I should take her home." He turned to take Angel's arm, but Casey punched him in the face, causing Mikey to stagger back. "Dude, what was that for?"

"For stickin' your nose where it don't belong," Casey replied. And with that, he led Angel away.

Mikey wanted to go after him, but he knew that fighting that guy wasn't a good idea. The guy was a good fighter for sure. Mikey rubbed his cheek where the guy had punched him and headed to Murakami's where he knew he'd be welcomed by someone who didn't flinch at the sight of him. Then again, Murakami was blind, so that made all the difference. He couldn't wait to find out how Oyuki was. She hadn't written to him for a few months, and Mikey was beginning to get worried about her. Surely Murakami would know what was going on.

22222

"What's up, Murakami-san?" Mikey greeted the blind noodle chef as he entered the shop.

"Ah, Michelangelo-san, I'm so glad to see you," Murakami replied. "As for what is happening, not much. It has been some time since you last visited. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, we've just been busy with patrol," answered Mikey. "So have you heard from Oyuki?"

"Yes, she has written to me a few times. Has she written to you?"

"Not for a few months, and I don't know why," said Mikey. "That's why I want to know if you've heard from her."

Murakami sighed. "I think I know why she hasn't written to you," he said, a sad look crossing his face. "She has met someone and is now engaged to him. She has decided to remain in Japan with him."

"But why didn't she just tell me?" Mikey asked. He felt hurt that Oyuki hadn't bothered to write to him to tell him any of this. Weren't they supposed to be friends?

"Because she was afraid of hurting you," replied Murakami. "She knew you were fond of her."

"Well, I am hurt!" snapped Mikey. "We were friends and she just refused to be honest with me. Yeah, I liked her and thought that maybe she liked me too. And if she just wanted to be friends with me, the least she could have done was just be honest about it. If you write to her again, tell her I'm disappointed in her and I think she's a lousy friend." It felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. First Bradford had betrayed him, then Robyn, and now Oyuki. Would he EVER have a friend like April had been?

"I'm very sorry, Michelangelo-san," said Murakami, putting his hand on Mikey's and patting it. "I had no idea she wasn't writing to you. If I had known, I would have told her to write to you immediately. Do you want me to ask her to write to you again?"

"No thanks," said Mikey bitterly. "If she won't do it herself, then there's no sense in making her do it. Do you know who this guy is?

"His name is Jun and she knew him from when they were in school," said Murakami. "When she went back to Japan, she reconnected with him and has decided that she wants to be with him for the rest of her life."

"Did you know him, too?"

"Yes, and I thought he was very nice and a good friend for Oyuki. They were always very close."

"Well, it seems like she found who she wanted to be with. I guess I wasn't good enough for her since I'm a mutant freak."

"I do not think that is the reason, my friend," said Murakami gently. "She just found someone she really liked and wanted to try a relationship with him. She still liked you and I'm sure she still does. Before she left, she told me that you were a lot of fun to be around and that she was sad to be leaving you."

"And now she's found someone else and has moved on," said Mikey. "I guess that's that and there's nothing more I can do. I better go."

"Would you like to take some pizza gyoza home for your brothers?"

"Sure. Thanks, Murakami-san." Mikey couldn't blame the noodle chef for what Oyuki did to him He watched as Murakami prepared some pizza gyoza, making small talk about the noodle shop and asking about Mikey's family. Mikey told him about Leo's nightmares and how everyone else was holding up as best they could. He left out the part about Lynn because he wasn't sure how Murakami would react to that information.

"I'm sorry your brother is having bad dreams," said Murakami as he handed Mikey the bag with his food in it. "There is a special tea that can help to ward off bad dreams. I will give some to Leonardo so that it will help him sleep." He hurried to a cupboard and took out a few packets of tea and put them in the bag with the pizza gyoza.

"Thanks again, Murakami-san," said Mikey. "I'm sure Leo will appreciate the help."

"It is no trouble, Michelangelo-san," said Murakami. "I am always happy to help out whenever I can."

Mikey smiled at Murakami even though he felt so sad right now and promised him he'd visit again when he was able to. Just as he made his way to the rooftop, he heard a voice say, "Aww, looks like someone got his hart broken." He pulled his nunchucks out and narrowed his blue eyes, scanning to see who was with him.

"Who's there?" he demanded. "Show yourself."

A figure stepped out from behind a water tower, and Mikey instantly recognized that it was Lynn. She smiled as she came up to the orange-clad Turtle. "Trouble in paradise, Mikey?" she teased.

"You tell me," Mikey retorted. "Do you have Murakami's place bugged?"

She laughed. "Of course not," she said. "I can tell by the sadness in your face. I've seen that look before, and I know what it means. You've been hurt bad."

"And why should that matter to you?" Mikey snapped. He was tired of this person always being in their business.

"Because I'm curious about you guys," Lynn answered.

"Well, we're curious about you, but you won't tell us anything. How do you know about us? How did you get those scars? Was it from a fire or a car accident?"

Lynn's teasing expression turned cold. "I told you I don't want to talk about it," she said.

"That's not fair!" yelled Mikey. "If you're not gonna tell us about you, then I'm not gonna tell you what I'm going through."

"Fine with me," replied Lynn. "I could probably guess though."

"Good luck with that," countered Mikey. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going home. I'm not in the mood for playing games with anyone."

"I'm not playing games," said Lynn. "But go on home if that's what you want to do. Just know that I'm going to see you around. I'm not going away no matter how much you want me to."

Mikey didn't answer and ran away from her. He looked behind him, but she wasn't following him. Good. He was sick of her already. He made it to the Lair without any more incidents and saw Splinter waiting up for him.

"Hey, Sensei, I didn't think you'd be waiting up," greeted Mikey.

"I had some trouble sleeping so I decided to sit up for a while," replied Splinter. "Besides, usually one of your brothers would be waiting up for you but they have gone to bed. How was your visit with Murakami-san?"

"It was okay. He's doing really good and says hi. He even gave me some tea to help Leo." Mikey reached in and pulled out a packet of tea. "Do you recognize it, Sensei?"

Splinter took the packet and examined it. "Yes, I do," he said. "My mother would often give it to me when I had bad dreams as a child."

"Did it work?" Mikey asked him His blue eyes were filled with hope that maybe this would help Leo.

Splinter smiled as he saw his son's expression. "Yes, it did, and I am sure it will help Leonardo as well. I will put these in the cupboard so we have them when we need them. And what else did Murakami give you?"

"Pizza gyoza," answered Mikey. "I'll put it in the fridge for later."

"Well I was thinking you and I could have some with some tea," Splinter suggested. "There is no sense in letting something like that go to waste."

Mikey nodded and set out the pizza gyoza while Splinter prepared the tea. When it was done, the rat poured some for himself and his son. Mikey drank his and became surprised when he finished it so quickly.

"You put sugar and chocolate syrup in there," he noted.

Splinter chuckled. "Yes, I remembered that you are not fond of traditional tea and like for yours to have a bit of flavor."

"Thanks for remembering, Master Splinter," said Mikey gratefully.

"You are welcome, Michelangelo. You said that Murakami is doing well. Has he heard from Oyuki?"

At the mention of her name, a sad and broken look crossed Mikey's face. "Yeah, he did," he said softly.

"Did he tell you why she has not written to you?"

"She found somebody else and is engaged to them," Mikey answered dejectedly, tears filling his blue eyes.

Splinter's eyes filled with sympathy for his youngest son. ""Oh, Michelangelo, I am so sorry. I know how much she meant to you."

"I mean, I know we were just friends, but I thought that it could turn into something more. But now that'll never happen. Did you feel this way after you fought Shredder and lost Shen?"

Splinter nodded. "Yes, I did, and it took me a long time to heal. Even now, it is hard for me to remember all that has happened. But you and your brothers have helped me to remember that good things do happen, and that has been part of what has helped me to heal. You may feel badly about all of this now, my son, but I believe that you will find someone who will care about you just as much as you care about them. And remember that though you have lost Oyuki, you still have your brothers and me to lean on."

Mikey thought about what Splinter had said. He didn't have Oyuki, but he could still be friends with Angel and maybe help her along the way. "You're right, Sensei," he said. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"You are quite welcome, my son. And now I think it is time for us to go to bed."

Mikey nodded and went to the kitchen to put away the remaining pizza gyoza while Splinter put the tea away. Then Mikey headed to his room, feeling better after that talk with his father. He was ad about Oyuki, but he knew that it wasn't a good idea to dwell on her. It was time to move on, and that's what Hamato Michelangelo was going to do.

A/N: So that's the end of another chapter. I can't believe I finished another one so soon. I really want to get the chapters that I have written posted because I don't want any of you to wait anymore. Yep, Mikey's heart's been broken, but he'll heal soon enough. And I know that Lynn hasn't been revealed yet, so you'll have to wait and see where that goes, too. Yep, I also introduced Casey Jones into my little universe, and he will show up again so be on the lookout for more chapters. In the meantime, feel free to elave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: No Place to Hide

A/N: I'm back with yet another chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this so far. Your encouragement is the fuel I need to keep going as I continue this saga. So thanks a million for that. And now, let's get on to the next chapter.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. If I owned them, this story would probably be a whole movie since I couldn't condense it into just a half hour episode or even an hour.

Leo let out a sigh of contentment, happy to be closer to nature. Kirby had offered to take the Turtles, Splinter, and Miwa to his mother's farmhouse in Northampton. The Hamato family had agreed, and now Leo was in the woods, enjoying some quiet time to himself. The tea Murakami had given him the good night's sleep he'd been wanting, and that was awesome. Donnie wasn't thrilled with the idea and predicted that Leo would become addicted to the tea, but Leo had reassured him that the tea was safe.

The snapping of a branch caused Leo to stiffen. He pulled out his katanas, ready to defend himself against some kind of animal. Then a figure stepped into view and Leo tensed.

Lynn smiled at him. "Hey, Leo, nice to see you," she said.

Leo glared at her. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"My grandparents have a farmhouse here," she replied. "What are YOU doing here?"

"Our friend's father invited us to his mother's farmhouse," Leo answered.

"Good to know, and I suppose you're here to get away for a while?"

"Yeah, I am. But enough about me. I want answers from you, Lynn. Who are you? Where did you get those scars? Did you get burned in a fire, or was it some other accident?"

Lynn groaned. "My, you Turtles are nosy," she commented. "Your brothers asked me the same thing."

"Wait, my brothers talked to you? They never told me about it."

Lynn twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. "They didn't? That's bad. You're the leader, and they should always report to you. Well, I'm sure they had a good reason. After all, they wouldn't want you to go crazy on them again."

Leo tensed at her words. "Did they tell you about that?"

She shook her head. "No, they didn't have to. I know things, Leo. I know how much the whole drama with the fire has affected you. You haven't been coping well, have you? I saw Mikey at Murakami's getting you that tea. I know that Raph has taken over your role as leader. I know that Donnie's still worried about your sanity. And not only did they fail to tell you about seeing me, they've failed to tell you about other things, too."

"Like what?" Leo spat.

"Like how Raph tried to reunite Xever and his sister but she ran away. Or how about how Donnie kissed April's best friend? And how Mikey tried to befriend Xever's sister and got his ass kicked by a guy named Casey? Oh, and how about how Mikey's dealing with the loss of his beloved Oyuki to another man? Now, why do you think your brothers decided not to tell you all of this?"

Leo had no answer for her. He was hurt that his brothers had decided not to confide in him about any of this. Fuming, he decided that he needed answers from his brothers. He sheathed his swords and walked away from Lynn, ready to tell his brothers off for what they did.

Lynn smiled as she watched Leo leave. "See you around, Leo!" she called. "Tell your brothers I said hi."

Leo left her and made his way to the farmhouse. He found his brothers settled in front of the TV while Splinter, Miwa, and Kirby were reading books nearby.

Raph looked up when Leo came in. "Hey, bro, did you enjoy your walk?" he asked him.

Leo glared at his brothers, his blue eyes filled with anger. "Why didn't you tell me you guys saw Lynn?" he demanded.

"Why are you askin'?" Raph retorted.

"Because I just saw Lynn in the woods just now," Leo answered. "She told me you guys have seen her, too. Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Because we didn't want to trigger another hallucination," Don said softly. "We just figured to keep quiet after we met her. We didn't want your nightmares to get worse either."

Leo laughed bitterly. "Oh, yes, let's protect Leo because he's crazy," he scoffed. "It doesn't matter that I have nightmares or anything else. You should have told me about this just like you should have told me about the other things you've been hiding from me."

"What are you talking about, dude?" Mikey asked him.

"I'm talking about how Raph tried to get Xever and his sister reunited, how Donnie kissed Irma, and how you, Mikey, tried to befriend Xever's sister and got beat up by some guy as well as the stuff you're dealing with regarding Oyuki."

"And since when have any of our private matters been any business of yours?" Don demanded.

"Yeah, we shouldn't have to tell you anything," Mikey added. "Wait, Donnie, you kissed Irma? Score one for you, bro!"

"Mikey, you're missing the point!" snapped Leo. "We're supposed to be brothers which means we share everything with each other."

"We didn't want to frighten you, bro," Raph said gently. "We figured if you knew about Lynn, you'd freak out that Robyn was back because she was sayin' stuff about us like she did the last time we met her. We just wanted you to think that was the last time we'd seen her because we knew it would drive you nuts."

"So your solution was to keep it a secret from me? When I have ever done that to you?"

"You kept our sis over there a secret," Raph pointed out.

"He's got you there, bro," Mikey added.

Of course they would bring that up. But Splinter had asked him not to tell them, and he had honored his father's wishes. "I'm talking about recently," he explained. "And Sensei kept Miwa a secret from all of us at first if you remember."

"You haven't kept anything from us, Leo," Don said. "It was stupid of us not to tell you about Lynn. But don't you realize that if we had wanted to tell you about the other stuff, we would have? Sometimes, there are things people want to keep private, and I know you feel the same way, don't you, Leo? You haven't shared everything that goes on with you and Madison because you want to keep it to yourself, and we respect that."

"And April never shared all of the secrets she knew about us to any of us either," pointed out Mikey. "How is this any different?"

Leo opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn't say anything. Mikey and Don had a point. The only reason the brothers knew of each other's secrets was because Kirby had given them April's journal and they had read some of it together. And though they had been shocked to learn of all the secrets, they took comfort in the fact that it was all over and that the journal would give them the answers they needed. It had been this very journal that Robyn had read to send her messages as A. They hadn't judged each other for the secrets and had forgiven one another for not talking about it.

"Okay, you guys have a point," conceded Leo. "But you should have at least told me about Lynn."

"We're sorry, Leo," Raph said, and the others echoed the sentiment.

"That's okay, guys. I understand why you didn't."

"So, what do you think is Lynn's deal anyway?" Raph asked. "She acts like she's known us forever."

"Yeah, that definitely doesn't sound right," added Don. "I mean, if she knew about April's case, she could get that from the newspapers or the Internet, but there's no way she'd know about us from that."

"Maybe it's really Robyn's ghost," suggested Mikey.

"Oh, come on!" scoffed Raph. "You really believe in that shit? She's not even transparent, and she doesn't float either."

"Then maybe Lynn is a reincarnation of Robyn," said Mikey. "You know, that she's reborn through Lynn."

"It could be a possibility, Mikey," said Leo. "She could retain certain memories,and if so, that would explain why Lynn knows so much about us. After all, Robyn found out about us through that journal."

"I think she's just pretending to know stuff about us and psyching us out," said Don. "She probably figures that if she keeps this air of mystery about her, we'll want to talk to her. It's sort of her way of luring us in."

"She told me you guys asked her about her scars," noted Leo.

"We did, but she wouldn't talk to us about it," answered Mikey. "Did you ask her about it, Leo?"

"Yep, and she wouldn't answer me either," responded Leo.

"That's because she's playin' with us by holdin' the answers over our heads," said Raph bitterly. "She knows we want answers, so she's doin' this so that we can keep playin' detective."

"It's a classic evil move," piped up Miwa. "She's doing this to bend you to her will. I saw Shredder do it all of the time with the Foot. He'd entice them by telling them they were good soldiers and that they were perfect for his organization, and when they asked him what it was, he'd tell them they'd get answers once they joined up. And by the time they did that, it was too late for them to turn back once they found out what was going on. Most of them fell for it and just did what he wanted them to do."

"And did any of them get out once they found out the truth?" Don asked her.

"Some of them did it quietly, but it was very hard to get out of the Foot," she answered. "The only way to truly get out was death, and that was the punishment for failure. There were some who did sneak out though, but they were hunted down and killed."

"Man, that's messed up," Mikey commented.

"It is messed up, but it worked," Miwa pointed out.

"So what should we do?" Leo asked her. He figured that since she grew up with an evil tyrant, she would know what their next move should be.

"You need to get on her good side," Miwa answered. "You all believe that she's really Robyn, and you're afraid of that fact if it's true. By avoiding her, you're letting her win. You need to show her that you're not going to play the game by her rules. Let her know you're not afraid of her, and she'll come right to you."

"I told her that if she didn't tell me about herself, then I wasn't gonna tell her about my problems, or any of your problems either," Mikey piped up.

"That's good, Mikey," Miwa praised him. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. Let her know who's in charge."

Before any of them could say anything, their phones went off. The Turtles pulled them out and saw that they had a new text message. As one, they opened up their inboxes and gasped as they read the message.

**Did you really think I was gone? You know you can't get rid of me that easily. I'm always watching.—A. **

A/N: Oh man, now it's really getting good. A is back and ready to mess with the Turtles again. So is A, Lynn, and Robyn the same person, or is Lynn someone different? Keep reading on to find out. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Ghost Stories

A/N: Hey, sorry I'm late with this, but I was juggling other stories and I still am doing that, I'm not sure when updates will happen anymore It just depends on my mood and what I can get done. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words are great and help me to continue on with this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of the story.

Raph stared incredulously at his phone, hardly daring to believe this was real. A had been Robyn, and Robyn was supposed to be dead. But seeing this text confirmed that she was alive and that she was the one Leo had encountered in the woods.

It was Mikey who broke the silence. "Ahhh! It's Robyn's ghost! She's threatening us from beyond the grave!"

Don rolled his eyes. "Mikey, there are no such things as ghosts," he said. "The dead can't send text messages."

"You talked to April's ghost when you meditated," Mikey pointed out. "So how can you say ghosts don't exist?"

"It wasn't a ghost!" Don snapped. "She was real, and I could hug her. It was more like her spirit, not a ghost."

Raph rolled his eyes. "You've got to be kidding me!" he scolded. "How can you not think this is Robyn? It's not her ghost or spirit or whatever you want to call it. She's got scars on her from the fire and dyed her hair so we won't know it's her."

"The text definitely sounds like something Robyn as A would say," said Leo. "There are two possibilities: Either Lynn is Robyn in disguise, or she's working for Robyn to mess with our heads. And although I think we should talk to Lynn about this, I think there's another way we can find out the truth."

"How?" Mikey asked him.

"We talk to April," answered Leo. "We need to contact her through meditation and see if she's seen Robyn wherever she is. If she has, then we have our answer."

"That is an excellent suggestion, Leonardo," praised Splinter. "Perhaps April will have the answers we are looking for. And if so, then perhaps this mystery will be solved sooner rather than later."

"And what if we try this and nothin' happens?" asked Raph. He was always the one who was skeptical when it came to meditation and spirits. When April had explained her beliefs to them and what it all meant, Raph had declared that it was all nonsense created by humans to brainwash the masses.

"Oh, it'll work, Raph," said Don smugly. "I've done it before."

"Whatever you say, Brainiac," scoffed Raph. He really wanted to wipe the smug look off of Don's face, but he knew if he did that he'd be punished. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest so he wouldn't be tempted to make any sudden moves.

"I'd like to attempt this myself," said Kirby. "It would be nice to talk to my daughter again."

Splinter nodded. "Yes, that would be fine. We will attempt to reach April after lunch."

Raph was still skeptical about all of this. Even if it did work, what if April hadn't seen anything? And if she did see something, what would that mean? He chewed on his sandwich as Splinter explained to Kirby how to channel April's spirit. If this didn't work then Raph was going to be very pissed off.

After lunch was over, they settled themselves in a lotus position in the living room. This was the moment of truth, and Raph was honestly worried about whether it would work or not, though he did his best to hide his fear. Splinter instructed everyone to close their eyes and concentrate. Raph had never been good at meditation, but he was determined to get it right this time. He did as his father told him and concentrated as hard as he could. At first, nothing happened, but then things changed and Raph found himself in a meadow filled with flowers. He looked around and saw Splinter, his brothers, and Kirby were there, too. He felt Leo nudge him and saw Leo motion to the front for Raph to look there. Raph did as Leo asked and gasped. April was in front of them wearing the same clothes she'd worn on the night she died.

"What the shell is this?" gasped Raph.

Donnie laughed. "See? I told you it would work, Raph," he gloated.

Raph glared at him and then turned his attention to April.

"Now, Donnie, don't be so smug," she scolded her friend. Then she smiled. "It's so good to see all of you."

"It's good to see you, too, April," Mikey said.

April ran over and gave each of them a hug. When she reached Raph, he expected her to pass through him like a ghost, but when she put her arms around him, she was solid and warm. He returned the hug warmly.

"I missed you, sis," he said, his throat cracking up.

"I missed all of you, too," she said. She pulled back and noticed Miwa was there as well. "I see you joined the family."

"Yep, I'm a Hamato now," Miwa replied.

"Well, at least you're not an enemy anymore," April declared. Then she turned to the others. "So what's with the visit?"

"We have an important question to ask you," Leo answered. "On the night of the fire, we managed to escape, but we didn't know about Robyn. A few nights ago, we encountered a girl with dark hair, and she had scars on her as though she was burned. The others encountered her in the city, and I saw her in the woods at the farm. So our question is do you know if Robyn survived the fire?"

April sighed. "I'm sorry, guys, but I don't know," she said. "I tried to look for her, but the smoke was too thick to see if she got out."

"So she could still be out there?" Mikey asked fearfully.

"She could be. Did she use her real name?"

"She introduced herself as Lynn Obiero," Don replied. "If Robyn's alive though, she wouldn't give us her real name so we couldn't trace her. She'd want to remain anonymous."

"Robyn's middle name is Lynn," Kirby recalled. "She could have used her middle name and used a fake last name."

"And I remember a game we used to play when we were little where we pretended we were princesses," April added. "We called ourselves Princess Marie and Princess Lynn since those were our middle names."

"So how do we figure this out for sure?" Leo asked.

"Leo, we've been over this. We're gettin' texts from A again, and we all know Robyn is A," Raph piped up.

"But we need to know for sure, Raph," Leo reminded him.

Raph glared at him but said nothing. Wasn't the text from A proof enough that Robyn was alive?

"And you didn't ask her anything about herself or me?" asked April.

"We asked her about how she got her scars, but she wouldn't tell us," said Mikey.

"So she's probably not going to say anything on that so that you won't know it's her," noted April. "You'll just have to gain her trust. Once you gain it, maybe you can ask her what she knows about me. If she reveals anything that Robyn would know, then you have the answer."

"And how will we know that it's somethin' Robyn knows about you?" Raph asked her.

"Dad gave you my journal," replied April. "I wrote about her in there, so just pick something from there to ask her."

"That's it?" asked Donnie.

"Yep, that's it," she responded. "So, any other questions?"

"I have one," said Mikey raising his hand. "Why did Robyn hate you so much? Weren't you guys really close and stuff?"

"Yeah, we were," said April. "But after Mom died, things changed with us. Robyn blamed me for her death and just kept holding that grudge against me. I wish things had been different, but they weren't. I know you're mad at me for not telling you about her, but I had no choice. I felt guilty about it a lot. And, Leo, I know you feel guilty for what happened to me, but it's not your fault. It's my fault for keeping the secret from you. Maybe if I had told you, this never would have happened. Robyn was mad that I didn't tell her about the four of you or let you meet her when she was home. I was going to tell you about her as soon as Dad said it was okay. She kept begging to meet you guys, and I kept telling her it wasn't safe to do so. What if she exposed you to other humans? So I just kept putting it off until it was too late. I wanted to tell you at the party, but I just couldn't summon up the courage to do so. I'm really sorry, guys."

Mikey, always the quickest to forgive, put a hand on April's shoulder. "That's okay, April," he said. "It's not your fault. You were just doing what your dad wanted you to do."

"I know if you had been able to, you would have told us," Leo added. "We would have been able to save you if we had seen it coming. Don't blame yourself, April."

April laughed. "Says the Turtle who always blames himself when something goes wrong," she teased, but then she stopped when she saw the look on Leo's face. "Leo, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It slipped out before I thought!"

"That's okay, April," Leo replied. "I understand what you meant, and I'm starting to come to terms with what happened to you. It wasn't any of our faults at all. The only one to blame is Robyn."

A thought occurred to Raph. "But if this girl isn't Robyn, could she be someone from your school, April?"

"There were a few girls named Lynn, but they didn't have the last name Obiero," April answered. "And no one knows about you guys except for me, my dad, and Robyn."

"What about any friends Robyn made at the hospital?" Leo suggested. "Do you think she'd coerce one of them to play with our minds and pretend that they're Robyn?"

"That's definitely a possibility," April mused. "Robyn did have some friends there, but none of them were named Lynn. It wouldn't surprise me if she did that though. She was always the type who could get others to do things for her. She had a way of persuading people and always let them know if they didn't do things for her, they'd regret it. I remember one time at school Robyn dared a girl to kiss a boy, but the girl refused. So Robyn got back at her by pouring water on her chair and causing the girl's shorts to get wet. Then Robyn spread the rumor that the girl had a bladder problem, and it stuck. I tried to get Robyn to apologize, but she refused to do it."

Raph shook his head in disgust when April finished her story. He knew that sometimes he came off as a jerk to his brothers, but he had never stooped to Robyn's level. "Man, she was a heartless bitch," he said. "Uh, no offense, April."

"None taken, Raph," April replied. "You're right, She really wasn't nice to anybody and was always out for herself."

"It is important that we find out the truth as soon as possible," Splinter declared. "One of the keys of being a good ninja is to know your enemy."

"So we'll just talk to Lynn and see if she'll open up," Leo decided. "Donnie, can you look into the institution Robyn was being held in and see if she had any roommates? Maybe we can get answers from one of them about Robyn and what she was like."

Don nodded. "I brought my laptop with me so I can look into it," he replied.

April smiled. "I know you can do it," she said confidently. "And if you have any other questions, feel free to ask."

"We'll do all we can to solve this mystery," Kirby told his daughter. "I won't rest until I find out for sure if Robyn is alive or not. And if she is, I'll make sure she confesses to what she did to and that she pay the price."

"I know you will, Dad," April whispered, giving him a hug.

"I am afraid we must go," Splinter said. "Thank you for telling us what we needed to know, April. I only hope we can get the answers we seek."

"I hope so, too, Master Splinter," April replied. "I hope to see you all again soon."

"You can count on that," Raph promised. He was glad that April was okay and knew he had to focus on the present now. He watched as April hugged everyone once more until she came to him last. He hugged her and whispered in her ear, "See you around, sis." She kissed his cheek and then waved at all of them. Then everything shifted, and Raph found himself back inside the farmhouse.

"Dudes, that was awesome!" Mikey said excitedly. "I so want to do that again."

"Well, next time, I hope it won't feel like I ran a thousand miles," Raph complained.

"Does it always feel this way?" Kirby asked Splinter.

"Once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier, and you won't feel so exhausted," Splinter replied.

"So, Raph, are you going to believe me now?" Don asked his brother.

"Stop rubbin' it in, Donnie," Raph grumbled. "You were right, and I was wrong. Are you happy now?"

"Yes, I am," Don replied.

"Good. Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go take a nap for a bit." He headed to the room he shared with Leo and settled on his bed with his hands behind his head. It was weird that they'd been able to contact April but it had been refreshing as well to see his friend again. Now they had a plan to catch Robyn in the act. He just hoped it would work. Raph's thoughts were shattered when his T-Phone went off, indicating that he had a text message. He opened his inbox and gasped when he read the message.

**Hey, Raph, having fun on your little vacation? Better enjoy it while you can.—A. **

Raph stared at the text, hardly daring to believe it was happening yet again. He went to the window and looked out, noticing a figure lurking by the trees. Was someone watching him? When he looked again, he saw only the trees swaying in the wind.

A/N: So another chapter is done. Yep, it's not over yet, and it's not going to be easy for the Turtles from here on out. We'll just have to see if their plan will work. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Know Thy Enemy

A/N: And here's another chapter just as I promised. I'm really having fun with this series and writing about the Turtles like this. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words have been awesome, and I hope you enjoy what else I'm going to bring you.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of the story.

Donatello scanned his computer screen and smiled. He had finally hacked into the records for the Crestwood Mental Facility where Robyn had been. He looked up Robyn's record and saw who had been her roommates. He printed out the list and went to the living room.

"What's up, Donnie?" Leo asked him.

"I managed to find Robyn's roommates," he answered. "She had five while she stayed at Crestwood. I searched for them on MyFace and saw that two of her roommates, Ivy Jones and Serena Tanner, have accounts."

"Okay, so two mental patients have accounts on some dumb social media site," Raph scoffed. "What's your point?"

"My point is that I'm going to create an account and see if I can talk to them," Don replied. "Maybe they'll tell me more about Robyn and how she acted at Crestwood."

"Donnie, that's not a good idea," Mikey warned him. "I learned that when I befriended a guy who worked for Shredder and tried to find our Lair, remember?"

"That was completely different," Don reminded him. "You actually went to meet him while I will just be talking to them online. It's the perfect plan."

"Oh, sure, a brilliant plan until something goes wrong," Raph said, rolling his eyes.

"I think it's a good idea, Donnie, but you should still be careful," Leo cautioned him.

"Don't worry, Leo, I know what I'm doing," Don reassured him. "I think I'll talk to Ivy since she's the one who was there the longest with Robyn. She probably knows the most information on Robyn."

"Wow, Donnie, I never thought I'd say this, but you're losin' it," Raph said. "Do you really think this crazy chick is gonna trust you enough to spill her guts about her roommate?"

"I think I can make it work," Don told him. "Look, I know you think this isn't a good idea, but it' the only plan we have so far."

"Maybe we could bring up Serena and Ivy when we talk to Lynn," Mikey suggested. "If she's really Robyn, she'll know who we're talking about and spill the beans."

"That's a good idea, Mikey, but she might avoid the question or say she doesn't know who we're talking about," Leo told him. "I say we let Donnie do his thing and go from there."

"What do you think about all of this, Mr. O'Neil and Master Splinter?" asked Don. Even though he was an adult, Don still felt the need to ask his father's opinion on the matter. Plus, he was fishing for information on Kirby's daughter, so it was only wise that he ask for Kirby's opinion as well.

"I think it's a fine idea," Kirby replied. "We need to know the truth and this is the best way to get it."

"I also believe it is a good idea," Splinter answered. "I trust your judgment, Donatello, and I know you will do all you can to put this matter to rest."

"Thank you, Mr. O'Neil, and thank you, Sensei. I'll do my best."

22222

And so, Don set to work. He set up a MyFace account and sent Ivy a message that he was a friend of the O'Neil family and wanted to talk to her about Robyn. At first, he didn't hear from her and was worried she wasn't going to talk to him. Then he received a message from her saying that she wanted to talk to him that night. Excitement coursed within him as he read the message. This was the best thing that had ever happened to him. They were finally getting closer to solving this mystery.

When it was time for him to chat with Ivy, Don sat at the computer waiting to get a message that Ivy was online. He started to think this was a trick and that she wasn't coming on, but then she appeared.

**Poison Ivy: Don, are you there? **

**Donnie T: Yeah, I'm here. I like the screen name. Are you a Batman fan? **

**Poison Ivy: Nah, some of the patients called me that because of how I was like poison trying to worm my way into everyone's group, and the name stuck. I was always very conniving and loved to play pranks on everyone, too. **

Don thought she was definitely a friend of Robyn if she was conniving which made him nervous.

**Donnie T: Yeah, my brother loves to play pranks on us. He calls himself Dr. Prankenstein. **

**Poison Ivy: Has he ever fake friended anyone? **

**Donnie T: What's that? **

**Poison Ivy: That's where you trick someone into thinking you're their friend. Then as soon as you earn their trust, you have your weapon to turn against them such as a secret they've told you or something like that. **

Don was amazed at what she'd told him. She definitely sounded like a manipulative person, so it made sense that Robyn was friends with her.

**Poison Ivy: So has your brother done that? **

**Donnie T: No, not at all. **

**Poison Ivy: Oh, I see. Well I was awesome at it. **

**Donnie T: Did Robyn do it, too? **

**Poison Ivy: Oh, yeah, she was the best at it. How do you know Robyn?**

**Donnie T: My brothers and I were friends with her sister April. When April disappeared, we didn't know if she was coming back. After her body was found, her father introduced us to Robyn. We became friends with her thinking that everything was going to be okay. Then she tried to kill us in the antique store after she revealed that she had killed April. **

**Poison Ivy: Wait, that was you? I heard about the fire on the news and heard that Robyn was involved, but they never said anyone else was involved in the fire. They made it sound like Robyn was trying to kill herself or something. **

**Donnie T: Well, she wanted to kill us instead. But my brothers and I believe that she's still out there. **

**Poison Ivy: Why would you think that? **

**Donnie T: Well, before April's body was discovered, we were receiving text messages from someone named A and thought they were from April because they talked about things that only she knew about. **

**Poison Ivy: Like what? **

**Donnie T: Just friends stuff that we'd tell her. But after her body was found, we knew she wasn't sending the notes. Then before Robyn attempted to kill us, she confessed that she was the one who sent us those messages and that she'd found April's journal filled with all of the secrets we'd told her. Recently, we've gotten texts from A again, and we met a girl who has the same color eyes as both Robyn and April, but she has darker hair. **

**Poison Ivy: It could be a coincidence. **

**Donnie T: I don't think it is. Did Robyn ever talk about being someone else? **

**Poison Ivy: Yeah, sometimes. She always said she hated being a twin and wanted her own identity. She would talk about dying her hair and changing her name. **

Don gasped as he read those words. This was definitely a breakthrough in the case.

**Donnie T: Did she ever tell you what name she'd change to? **

**Poison Ivy: Nope, but that doesn't mean she never thought of a name. She just never shared it with anyone. **

Don's heart sank at the possibility that Lynn wasn't Robyn. If that was the case, then all of this work was for nothing. Then again, they still didn't know for sure and would have to find out on their own from Lynn herself.

**Poison Ivy: Donnie, you still there? **

**Donnie T: Yeah, I'm here. **

**Poison Ivy: So what do you think? **

**Donnie T: I'm not sure what to think. I guess we'll have to find out for ourselves. **

**Poison Ivy: Good luck with that. Well, I'd better go. It was nice talking to you, Donnie. Maybe we can do it again sometime. **

**Donnie T: Yeah, I'd like that. Talk to you later. **

**Poison Ivy: Later. **

After he signed off, Don sat there, thinking about what Ivy had said. Robyn had talked about changing her name, but she never talked about what name she'd choose to anyone else. But what if she had told Ivy and had asked Ivy not to tell anyone? After all, Ivy was one of Robyn's best friends. Best friends always kept secrets for one another.

His thoughts were interrupted when his T-Phone went off. He thought that maybe it was Irma texting to see how he was enjoying his vacation. But as he read the text, he realized it wasn't from Irma at all.

**Making new friends, aren't we, Donnie? I wonder what your family would think if their little genius were to suddenly disappear? I'm giving you one last warning. Mind your business or else.—A. **

A/N: And that's the end of that chapter. So they're closer to finding out the truth, but it may not be what they want it to be. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I had so much fun writing the conversation between Ivy and Don. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Thousand Needles

A/N: I'm back with another chapter, and this time it's Mikey's turn again. What will our orange-banded Turtle go through this time? Well, you'll have to read on to find out. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means the world to me that you love this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT belongs to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more than that.

Mikey felt excitement course through him as he headed over to Murakami's noodle shop. Murakami had called him and told him that Oyuki had come to New York and wanted to see him. He and his brothers had returned to New York yesterday after Kirby had been called in to cover someone else's shift, which had cut their vacation short. After Don had received an A note, the Turtles were going to confront Lynn about it until Kirby had to tell them it was time to go back.

But Mikey wasn't thinking about A, Lynn, or anything else. He was concentrating on having a good time with Oyuki and catching up with her. Sure, he knew she was with someone else now, but he was happy for her and wanted to still remain friends with her despite that. He approached the noodle shop and was pleased to see that all of the lights were on. He entered and greeted Murakami with a smile.

"Hey, Murakami-san, what's shakin'?" he asked.

"I suppose you are referring to my well-being, are you not?" Murakami guessed. "I am doing fine, Michelangelo-san. How are you?"

"I'm okay," Mikey answered. "I'm glad to be back. Where's Oyuki?"

"She is out getting some spices I'm low on," Murakami replied. "She should be back soon though. Can I get you anything?"

"Just the usual," Mikey told him.

"Coming right up," Murakami said. He gave the orange-clad Turtle a soda and began preparing some pizza gyoza. He talked about how things had been going in the shop, and Mikey told him about their vacation and why they'd had to come back early. It had been such a treat to leave the city, ad Mikey had been sad to leave so soon.

"So why is Oyuki back?" asked Mikey.

"Her mother passed away, and Oyuki wanted to remain in Japan, but her father insisted that she come back here and resume her studies."

"She never told me she was in school."

"She isn't, but that's what she wants her father to believe," explained Murakami. "She wouldn't have been allowed to come to America unless it was for schooling."

"Oh. But won't her dad find out the truth if he comes out here?"

"No, he refuses to come to America because he feels Japan is a superior country. He was angry when I chose to come here and he wanted Oyuki's mother to have nothing to do with me. She refused him and talked to me anyway."

"Well, that dude sounds harsh," Mikey commented. He tried to think about Splinter hating America and not wanting to come here. If that had happened, he and his brothers would never have mutated. He tried to imagine Oyuki living with someone like that and couldn't bear the thought. Had that been the reason Oyuki had returned?

Murakami hit a button on his watch that told him the time, startling Mikey out of his thoughts. "Hmm. Oyuki is talking a long time to get those spices," he noted. "She's never this long."

"Maybe she ran into someone," Mikey suggested.

Murakami shook his head. "I feel like something's not right," he said.

"I'll go down to the store and see if she's there," Mikey offered. A weird feeling was settling in his stomach, and he didn't like it one bit. Murakami gave him directions to the store, and Mikey hurried to see if she was okay.

As he neared the store, he saw some cop cars parked out front. Had there been a robbery? Was Oyuki being held hostage by some crazy guy? He leapt to the store's roof and saw that there were more cops in the back of the store near a Dumpster. Mikey peered over the roof and saw that the cops were standing by a body. Some detectives were there, taking pictures of the body, and as they stepped back, Mikey got a glimpse of who it was. He gasped, and tears filled his eyes.

It was Oyuki.

It was like a thousand needles were piercing his heart. How could this have happened?

"So what happened?" one of the cops asked.

"One of the employees went to empty the trash and found the body in the Dumpster," another officer replied. "He identified her as a customer who had been in the shop just minutes ago. We questioned other customers, but no one saw anything. We're trying to find her family to contact them."

Mikey listened to them talking, shaking his head in disbelief. This couldn't be real. Oyuki couldn't be dead. This had to be some sort of mistake. But as he looked down at her body again, he realized that this was real. An urge came over him to run to the body and to hold Oyuki. He wanted to tell her the things he'd been meaning to tell her at the noodle shop and how she really meant a lot to him. There was no way he could so, however, and he had to give up that notion. Then he remembered that Murakami was waiting at the shop for their return. Mikey had to go to him and tell him that his niece was dead, something that he really didn't want to do. With one last look at Oyuki's body, he went to her uncle to tell him the news.

Murakami was stirring a pot of something when Mikey came in. He put the spoon down as soon as he heard Mikeys footsteps. "Michelangelo, where is Oyuki?" he asked.

Mikey sighed. "I'm sorry, Murakami-san, but Oyuki's dead," he sobbed, tears falling from his face. "They found her body in the Dumpster at the back of the store."

Murakami's face turned pale, and he started to sway. Mikey hurried to his side to steady him. "I am fine, Michelangelo-san. But how could this have happened?"

"I think Robyn did it," Mikey replied.

"But Robyn is dead," Murakami reminded him.

"My brothers and I don't think so," Mikey told him and proceeded to tell him about Lynn possibly being Robyn. "We've started getting notes from A again, and that's why we think Robyn's still alive."

"But perhaps it could be one of your enemies playing a trick on you," suggested Murakami.

"None of our enemies know about the notes," replied Mikey. "It has to be Robyn."

"But why would Robyn kill Oyuki?"

"To get back at us. She's the one who encouraged me to ask Oyuki out when we met her. So by killing her, she's getting her revenge on me and on all of us. She'll keep on going and go for Madison, Lucindra, and Irma if we don't stop her."

"Michelangelo-san, please be careful," Murakami urged him. "If Robyn is back, then you know how dangerous she is. I do not want you or your brothers to get hurt."

Mikey knew Murakami cared about him and meant well, but he just didn't understand how the orange-clad Turtle felt. He had been devastated when he'd seen Oyuki's body. Sure, they had only been friends before Oyuki left, but Mikey had envisioned that it could be taken further when she came back. They would keep in touch and eventually become a couple. But now that would never happen, and it was all Robyn's fault.

"I'll try to be careful, Murakami-san, but I have to do this for Oyuki," Mikey told him. "I have to go home and tell the others what happened. I'll come back soon."

Murakami offered him some pizza gyoza to take home, but Mikey declined it. He went home and wasn't sure what he was going to say to his brothers. Now he knew how Don had felt when April's body had been discovered. Someone had killed Oyuki and thrown her in the Dumpster. Would that have happened if he'd been there? Had she cried for help before she'd been killed? Had her last thoughts been about Mikey, or about her family and the man she was leaving behind?

When he entered the Lair he found his brothers sitting in the living watching wrestling while Don was typing on his laptop. Mikey didn't even try to hide his tears from them because he didn't care what they thought.

"Mikey, what's wrong?" Leo asked him.

"Oyuki was killed," Mikey sobbed. "They found her body in a Dumpster!"

"Holy shit!" Raph swore.

"I think it was Robyn," Mikey said. "She's the one who encouraged me to ask Oyuki out when we met her." Just then, Mikey's T-Phone chimed with a new text. He opened it, and read it, his eyes filled with anger.

**Poor Mikey! Love really bites, doesn't it? There's no such thing as a happy ending in my world.—A. **

With a cry of rage, Mikey threw his phone, and it hit the wall.

"Michelangelo, come with me!" Splinter ordered.

Mikey did as his father asked him even though he didn't want to. How dare Robyn taunt him about Oyuki's death? She was definitely going to pay now.

"Michelangelo, I know that you are hurting," Splinter began once both of them were seated in his room. "However, being angry is not going to help you."

Mikey clenched his fists. How dare his father tell him he wasn't allowed to be angry? Didn't he know what Mikey was going through right now? "So I'm just supposed to forget that this ever happened and just smile? Is that what you did when Tang Shen died, Dad? Did you just pretend that it never happened?"

Splinter slammed his walking stick down, causing the orange-clad Turtle to jump. "Michelangelo! You will not speak to me this way!" he chastised. His eyes were filled with a rage Mikey had never seen before. "No, I did not forget what happened to her, but I knew that letting the rage and hate consume me was not the answer. It was then that I bought the four of you, and our lives were changed. I still mourned for Tang Shen, but I learned not to let the anger and hatred take over my life, and you four were responsible for that change. The point I am trying to make is that you can still mourn for Oyuki, but do not let the rage consume you for that can be a deadly enemy."

Mikey stared at his father, tears filling his eyes. "I don't think I can do that," he confessed. "It's hard not to be mad at what was done to her."

Splinter put a paw on Mikey's shoulder. "Well, what did you do after April died?" he asked him. "How did you distract yourself from what happened to her?"

"I visited Murakami," Mikey answered. "But that won't help this time because he knew Oyuki. It's just going to be hard to remember that she won't be there."

"Yes, but there are other ways to distract yourself. What else do you like to do?"

"I like to draw, read comics, play video games, and go skateboarding," Mikey replied. Then his eyes lit up. "Hey, I'll go skateboarding! I haven't done that in a while."

Splinter chuckled at his son's enthusiasm. "That is an excellent suggestion, my son," he praised him. "Perhaps it will help you feel better."

"And you don't think Oyuki would mind?" Mikey asked him.

Splinter smiled. "I think Oyuki would like to see you having fun," he replied.

"Then I'll do it. Thanks, Sensei."

"You are quite welcome, Michelangelo," Splinter replied. "Now run along and have some fun."

22222

Mikey did a front flip in the air before landing perfectly. He had been out in the sewers for two hours and was beginning to get hungry. Splinter was right that he needed a distraction to deal with the grief, and skateboarding had really helped. He still felt sad when he thought of Oyuki, but he knew the feeling would pass with time. He grabbed his skateboard and headed home. As he made his way there, he spotted a bag floating in the water. The bag floated close enough for Mikey to hear what sounded like an animal in distress. He grabbed the bag and slowly opened it to see an orange and white kitten mewing. The kitten stopped long enough to look at Mikey with sad eyes, shivering in terror. Mikey's heart went out to the kitten, and he felt sorry for what it had gone through. Why did people have to be so cruel?

"Don't be afraid, little guy," Mikey soothed. "I won't hurt you." He slowly reached in and put his hand under the kitten's nose so that he could get Mikey's scent. The kitten sniffed Mikey's hand and then nuzzled his head under Mikey's hand so that the Turtle could pet him. Mikey smiled as the kitten began purring.

"See? That wasn't so bad." He picked the kitten up and checked to see if it was a boy or girl. "Looks like you're a boy to me. I don't get why anybody would want to drown such a cute little kitty like you. Well, you don't have to be scared anymore. And I have the perfect name for you, too. I'll call you Klunk since I like the sound cats make when they play with toys, but instead of spelling it with a C, I'll spell it with a K 'cause it looks cooler. What do you think?"

"Meow," Klunk replied, as he moved up and touched his nose to Mikey's face.

"Glad you like it," Mikey said. Then he went back to the Lair, happy that he had found Klunk just like Splinter had found them. Maybe this was his distraction that he needed to help him with Oyuki's loss. Klunk was special, and Mikey knew he'd found a good friend and a great pet, too. He just hoped Splinter wouldn't mind and would let Mikey keep the cat. He felt that Klunk was just the thing to help distract him just as four baby turtles had helped distract Splinter from his loss and sadness.

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. Yeah, Mikey got put through the ringer here, but now he has Klunk to take care of. Sorry that I killed Oyuki, but I kind of had to. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Into the Abyss

A/N: I'm back with the next chapter, and now things are going to get kind of messy for the Turtles. Now it's Leo's turn, and it's not going to be pretty for him or the rest of the family. I can't say any more without giving it away, so you'll just have to read on to find out. Thanks to all of those who have stuck with this story and who have taken the time to leave me feedback. Your kind words have been great and keep me moving. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: TMNT is owned by Nickelodeon. I only own Lynn and the plot.

Leo sat bold upright in bed. Once again he'd been plagued by another nightmare. He clenched his fists in anger. Why did these stupid nightmares continue to plague him? He hoped that their confrontation with Lynn would stop the nightmares. They had planned to do this at a slower pace, but Oyuki's murder had changed that. It was time to get the answers they needed.

"Are you okay, Leo?" a voice asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Miwa framed in the doorway. Leo was surprised to see her since Raph was the one who usually came to him after he'd had a nightmare.

"I'm fine," he answered. "It was just a stupid dream. You can go back to bed." He hated the fact that she had to see him this way. Leo always prided himself in not showing any fear because he thought a true ninja never showed fear to anyone. Sure, he had fears as everyone else did, but he always tried to hide that fact from his brothers which was why they had given him the nickname Fearless Leader. Yet after the ordeal with Robyn, Leo had let the fear consume him and didn't face it as he should have. And now Miwa had to witness this and see how vulnerable he really was. He would never live this down as long as he lived.

Miwa smirked. "Sure you are," she teased. "You don't have to pretend to be brave, Leo. We're all afraid of something."

"A true ninja never shows fear," Leo recited.

She snorted. "Oh please!" she scoffed. "That phrase is so unrealistic. And after what you went through, no one would blame you for being afraid. Do you want to know why you keep having these nightmares, Leo? Because you can't swallow your pride and admit to yourself that it's okay to be afraid. Maybe if you just acknowledge that and think about it, the nightmares will go away."

Leo glared at her. "You have no idea what I went through," he told her. "Who are you to tell me to accept that I was nearly killed? After all, it would have been a good thing for you anyway."

Miwa returned his glare. "Do you really think it would have been a holiday for me if you had died, Leo?" she asked him. "Do you believe I hated you that much? Well, let me set you straight right now. I love you, Hamato Leonardo. I've loved you since the first time I met you, and I never stopped. And I know you still loved me, too."

Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing. He thought she had given up on him as he had given up on her. "I don't love you anymore, Miwa," he said. "Not the way you want me to. I have moved on and love someone else. I appreciate that you continued to care for me despite the fact that we were enemies, but what you're suggesting can't happen anymore, especially now."

Miwa sighed. "Leo, we aren't blood related," she reminded him. "And no matter what you think, that girl will never understand you the way I do." She took her hand in his, her eyes filled with longing.

He yanked his hand away from hers. "You're wrong," he stated. "Madison understands me just as much, if not more, than you do, Miwa. You have to let go of these feelings for me and find someone else."

"Don't you think I tried?" she asked. "I did everything I could to get you out of my head. I even tried to have a relationship with someone I was less than fond of."

You were in a relationship with Bradford?" Leo asked her.

She shook her head. "No, it was Xever," she answered. "I did my best to get you out of my head, but it didn't work. Xever knew I wasn't into it, so he gave up on me. He was upset that I couldn't return his feelings."

"Did you tell him about me?"

"No, I didn't. I knew that if I did, he'd be the first to tell Shredder and then I'd really be in trouble. I just told Xever I couldn't return his feelings."

"Was he angry?"

"Yeah, I think he was really hurt by it, though I can understand why." She smiled. "You have no idea how badly that fish wants to get laid. He kept telling me about this girlfriend he once had and how she was such a good lover to him."

Leo laughed. "Yeah, I can see that. So did the two of you ever sleep together?"

"We did once, but I just wasn't into it," she replied. "I think that's what hurt him the most. I tried to feel the same way he did, but I just couldn't. I kept thinking about you and how I wanted you more than him. But at least you were able to move on."

Leo smiled as his thoughts turned to Madison. "Yeah, I was, and I'm glad I did," he said. "I think you and Maddie would get along great together." Then he told her about how he'd met Madison and how their friendship had formed.

Miwa laughed. "So she's as obsessed with Space Heroes as you are?"

He nodded. "Yep, and we even went to see the new movie together, and she dressed up as Luna Mercury." Then his face clouded over as he remembered that Robyn had been there, too. She had been bored by the movie, but she had pretended to have enjoyed it. Now he realized that it had all been a lie to lure him and his brothers into her trap.

Miwa noticed his expression. "Leo, are you okay?" she asked. "Was the movie that bad?"

"No, the movie was good. I was just remembering that Robyn was there, too."

Her eyes filled with sympathy. "Yeah, I can see how that would be a bad memory. I guess we both know how it feels to be betrayed."

"Well, Robyn's betrayal was probably karma for how I betrayed you by going after Shredder."

Miwa shook her head. "That wasn't a betrayal, Leo," she told him. "You were just doing what you thought was the right thing to do. Splinter filled me in on your first encounter with Shredder, and now that I know more about it, I can understand what you were trying to do. I probably would have done the same thing if it had been me."

"So if I didn't betray you, then who did?"

"The Foot," she answered. "Actually, ti was Xever who told Shredder what I was doing. I think it was revenge for me not returning his feelings. When Shredder exiled me, I couldn't believe that he would do that to me. That's when I realized he really wasn't my father and that Splinter was truly my father and the one who cared about me."

"He's not the only one," Leo said softly. "I do care about you, Miwa. We can't be lovers as you want us to be, but we can still care for each other as brother and sister. Do you think you could do that?"

Miwa nodded. "It's going to be hard for me not to think of you the way I did before, but I think I can try," she promised. "Maybe Madison could help me find a hot model to date."

Leo laughed. "I'm sure she'd love to do that for you," he answered.

"So are you going to be okay?"

He nodded. "I think so," he replied.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?" she teased.

"Actually, I think that would be a good idea as long as you don't try anything," he told her.

Miwa raised her right hand in the air. "I promise on my honor that I won't try anything I shouldn't," she swore.

"That works for me," Leo said and scooted over to that she could lie beside him.

"I always wondered what this would feel like," she noted.

"When we were younger, we used to do this all of the time whenever one of us would have a bad dream," Leo told her. "It always made us feel better to just be together."

"I can see why. You don't do that anymore though?"

"Yeah, sometimes we still do. Usually Mikey's the one who needs it the most after watching one of those horror movies he loves to watch."

Miwa laughed. "I can definitely believe that. What about Raph?"

"He doesn't ask us to do that," Leo told her. "He always insists that he's fine and that he can handle it."

"Sounds like another Turtle I know," she teased.

Leo laughed at those words. "Okay, you got me," he confessed. "But if you tried to get into Raph's bed, he'd throw you out."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because he did it to me a few times," he replied.

"But he would always stay with you if you wanted him to?"

"Yeah, he would. I never had a lot of nightmares before this whole thing started, but when I did, Raph was always there for me. Mikey and Donnie stayed with me a few times, too, but it was mostly Raph who did it."

"I'm surprised it was Raph who rescued me," Miwa said. "He never hid the fact that he hated me all of this time. I thought maybe he would just let me die."

Leo shook his head. "Raph may have a temper and be reckless at times, but he's not totally heartless. He rescued you because he knew if he didn't, Splinter would be heartbroken, and he didn't want Splinter to lose his daughter."

Miwa smiled. "Yeah, and I remember you weren't happy about it at all," she remembered.

He blushed, remembering how horrible he was to her. "That definitely wasn't my best moment. I'm surprised Sensei didn't throw me out."

"I'm not. Splinter loves you Leo, and I think he knew what you were going through at the time. He realized it would take time for you to come around to the fact that I was here, and you did. I know it was hard for you to accept what happened, and it was hard for me as well. I felt so guilty for what I did to you and I wished that I could take it back. I still think about it and sometimes I feel like I don't deserve to be here with you guys."

Leo took his hand in hers shocked that she would say such a thing. "You should never feel that way, Miwa. I've forgiven you for what happened, and you should forgive yourself. You're family to us, and we will never turn our backs on you."

Miwa squeezed his hand. "Thanks, Leo," she said. "I always knew there was a reason I loved you."

"Same here," Leo agreed.

"By the way, Raph did want to come in here, but I told him I'd handle it."

"I'm surprised he didn't argue with you,"

"No, he said it was fine and went back to bed."

"Speaking of which, I'm getting tired," said Leo. "We'd better go to bed so we don't fall asleep in practice."

"That's true," she said. "Plus, you have an important mission, and you need to get your rest."

"I think I can do that now that you're here," he said sleepily. She said something in reply, but Leo fell asleep before he could process what it was. He had no nightmares for the rest of the night, but he didn't know that he would relive his worst nightmare and that it would change him forever.

22222

"Focus, Leonardo!" Splinter commanded.

Leo flinched at the reprimand by his sensei even though he knew he deserved it. He definitely wasn't focused on the task at hand because he was distracted by the mission he hoped to accomplish that night. He wished Splinter would have cancelled practice, but his sensei had a policy of never postponing practice unless it was needed. He saw Miwa, who was in a sparring match with Mikey, give him a concerned look, and Leo tried to communicate that he was fine. But as he was doing that, Donnie, who was sparring with him, managed to get the upper hand on him and pinned Leo to the floor. Mikey tried to take advantage of Miwa's distraction, but she caught him and scored the victory.

"Yame!" Splinter called out, signaling that the matches were over.

"Aw, man, I was so close!" Mikey lamented.

"Well, I guess you'll have to try harder next time," Miwa teased him.

Mikey stuck out his tongue at her and blew a raspberry before taking his place next to Raph.

Don stared at Leo. "Are you okay?" he asked him.

Leo glared at him. "I'm fine, Donnie," he replied. "Stop worrying." Muttering to himself, he took a seat on the other side of Mikey. The orange-clad Turtle put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Leo, you'll get him next time," he reassured him.

Leo ignored his brother and focused on the fight between Donnie and Miwa. Both of them circled each other and then Miwa dove in for the attack. Donnie blocked it and came back with one of his own, but Miwa parried it, swept Don's legs out from under him, and pinned him to the floor.

"I win again," she gloated.

Don groaned. "Why do you have to be so fast?" he complained.

She laughed. "It's a gift, Donnie. You just have to learn to be faster than me."

"Yame!" Splinter called out. "Well done, Miwa. You are very quick and precise in your attacks. Your ability to take your opponents by surprise with your speed and precise attacks is a very important skill."

Miwa bowed to him. "Thank you, Sensei," she said.

"Donatello, you also possess skill, but you allow yourself to become an easy target at times. You must try to control that instinct. Do you understand?"

Don bowed. "Hai, Sensei," he replied.

"Good. Practice is over. Leonardo, a word if you please."

Leo got up and followed his sensei to his room. He knew he was in troubl for being distracted in practice. He sat down and waited for his father to speak.

"I understand you were distracted in practice today, my son," he began. "Did you have another nightmare?"

"Yeah, Sensei, I did," Leo told him. "I guess I was just thinking about what I have to do tonight. I really hope that we can an find Lynn and get the answers we need to solve this mystery for good."

"I believe that you will, Leonardo," said Splinter softly. "You are not one to give up o something so easily."

"But what if she refuses to answer us?" asked Leo.

"Do not give up until you get the answers you seek," replied Splinter. "Sooner or later, she will tell you what you need to know."

"We'll do our best, Sensei," promised Leo.

Splinter put a paw on his son's shoulder. "That is all you can do."

Leo bowed to his father and went to prepare himself for what he had to do that night. It wasn't going to be easy, but Leo knew this was the only way to get the answers they sought from Lynn. Leo hoped she would consent to give the answers herself because if she didn't, Leo was prepared to force the answers out of her, something he really didn't want to do if he could help it. The best thing to do was to wait and see what would come. With that last thought in his head, he joined his brothers and Miwa in watching episodes of Super Robo Mecha Force Five, a new show Mikey had discovered. It would never hold a candle to Space Heroes, but it was still a good show it its own right.

"So did Splinter ream you out good?" Raph asked him.

"Not really," Leo replied, not wishing to go into the matter. "He just told me not to get distracted and to stay focused."

"Well, hopefully, all of this will end after tonight," Raph told him.

Leo nodded and focused on the show. Soon it would all be over and they could get on with their lives like always.

22222

The night was cloudless as the Turtles started their nightly patrol. Even though their goal was to find Lynn, they were still going to try and stop any crime they came upon. Mikey tried to challenge them to race, but Leo wasn't in the mood for such games.

"We're on a mission, Mikey," Leo reminded him. "This isn't the time to be fooling around."

"Aw, c'mon, Leo, it's just a short race!" Mikey protested.

Leo shook his head. "Stay focused, Mikey," he chastised. He motioned for them to follow him, and they continued their run on the rooftops. Mikey sighed in annoyance as he followed his brothers.

As they were passing by a water tower, they heard a voice say, "Hey, guys, up here!" The Turtles looked up to see Lynn leaning against the water tower. She grinned down at them. "You should totally come up here and check out the view," she said. "It's awesome."

Raph looked questioningly at Leo who nodded that they should go up. When the Turtles were up there, Lynn smiled.

"I missed you guys," she said. "Where were you?"

"We had to leave early because our friend had to go back to work," Leo replied.

"Bummer," Lynn said. "I was looking forward to hanging out with you guys some more."

"Well, we can hang out now," Don told her.

"True. So what's been going on?"

Leo knew this was the time to get some answers. "There was a murder here recently," he began. "A woman was found in a Dumpster."

"Oh, that Japanese woman?" asked Lynn.

"Her name was Oyuki!" snapped Mikey. His blue eyes were filled with a rage none of the others had seen before.

Lynn laughed. "Sounds like you knew her a little too well, right, Mikey?" she teased.

"That's enough!" Leo snapped. "Did you have anything to do with Oyuki's murder?"

"My, aren't you a little touchy, Leo," she replied. "You might want to loosen up a bit. You're too uptight."

"Answer the question!" snarled Raph.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered.

"The hell you don't!" snappd Mikey. "You killed her and you know it. Stop lying to us, Robyn."

"Not it," she singsonged.

"What did you say?" gasped Donnie.

"Not it," she repeated.

"Who are you?" Leo demanded.

Lynn stopped laughing and held her arms out. "I'm Lynn and I'm fabulous," she told him.

"Stop lyin'!" Raph ordered her. "We know you're Robyn."

"Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing," she recited. "Later, boys." She turned to go, but Leo grabbed her arm.

"You're not going anywhere until we get some answers," he threatened.

Lynn glared at him. "You can't tell me what to do," she said. "Let go of my arm."

"Not until you tell us what we want to know."

"None of your business, freak!" she spat. She kicked him in the stomach and tried to get away, but he recovered and tried to grab her again, causing them to struggle. Leo tried to render her unconscious with a pressure point, but she punched him in the face and pushed him, causing him to slip over the edge of the water tower. He grabbed onto the ledge and looked up. Lynn was looking down at him, an evil smile on her face.

"Leo!" cried Raph. He tried to get to his brother, but Lynn pulled out a gun and pointed it at the three brothers.

"Stay where you are or your brother dies," she threatened. Then she turned back to Leo. "Oh, Leo, I wish it didn't have to be this way," she said. "I thought we were friends."

Leo flashed back to the time he'd been hanging over a raging inferno. He stared at his tormentor and knew that he wasn't going down without a fight this time. "I guess not," he said and tossed a smoke bomb. She staggered back, allowing Leo to get back on the water tower. Lynn rubbed her eyes and then lunged for Leo who gave her a roundhouse kick to her face, causing her to fall off of the water tower. The Turtles watched as she fell into the abyss and landed on the roof of the building. For a moment, they just stared at her form lying on the roof, but then Don made a move as it to go for her.

Leo grabbed his arm. "No!" he barked. "Leave her!"

"But what if she's alive, Leo?" Don asked. "She might need help."

Leo's glare was hard. "There's no help for her now. If she's alive, then she'll just cause more damage than she already has. We can't risk helping her. It's over, Donatello. She's not our concern anymore."

Don appealed to the others. "Raph, you can't seriously just want to leave her, do you?"

Raph nodded. "Leo's right, Donnie," he said. "We gotta let it be."

"Mikey, what about you?"

The orange-clad Turtle glanced down at Lynn's body. "That was for you, Oyuki," he whispered.

"Guys, we need to at least see if she has a pulse!" protested Don. "If she does, then we can call for an ambulance."

"And what do we do when they get here and don't see a body on the ground, Donnie?" Raph asked him. "She's on the roof. They aren't gonna be lookin' up here to search for a body."

"Maybe we could move her," Don suggested.

Leo glared at him. "We're not doing anything, and that's final," he said firmly. Don looked like he wanted to say more, but closed his mouth at Leo's look. The blue-clad Turtle led them back to the Lair in silence. Splinter and Kirby were there while Miwa was in her room. Kirby often visited to talk with Splinter when he felt lonely.

"How did it go, my sons?" Splinter asked them.

Leo explained everything that had happened with their encounter with Lynn. "I'm really sorry, Mr. O'Neil," he concluded. "I had to defend myself from her attack."

"Are you sure she was killed?" Kirby asked.

"No, we're not because Leo just wanted me to leave her there!" Don burst out. "I wanted to see if there was a chance that she was alive. If there was, we still could have gotten answers out of her!"

"And she still could have killed us!" Leo pointed out. "We know she killed April, and she would have still been held responsible for that. She was there to trap us and try to kill us again. She wasn't going to own up to anything or tell us what we needed to know. If she would have gone to the hospital, she could have broken out."

"Leo's right, Donnie," Kirby interjected. "Robyn was the type to never own up to any mistakes she made. And judging by what Leo told us, it seems like she wanted to get rid of you. If Leo hadn't done what he did, she would have killed him and gone for you guys next."

"We will discuss this later," said Splinter. "For now, you should all get some rest."

"Hai, Sensei," chorused the Turtles. They bowed to him and went their separate ways. Don sent Leo a mean look, but Leo ignored him and went to his own room.

As he got ready for bed, Leo knew that he'd made the right decision. He had looked his fear in the eye and had conquered it at last. He knew he couldn't let Robyn control him any longer, and that was why he had acted in the manner that he did. Don resented him for it, but he didn't care about that at all. Robyn was no longer a threat, and they could live their lives without fear of retaliation. But things aren't always what they seem, and Leo would soon realize that the decision he thought was the right one would turn out to be the biggest mistake of his life.

A/N: Dun dun duuuuun! I love putting those cliffies in. So what do I mean by that? Well, you'll have to read on to find out. Is Robyn really dead? Was she masquerading as Lynn all along, or is she still out there ready to seek her vengeance? So many questions yet to be answered. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Innocent Until Proven Guilty

A/N: And here's the next chapter. This time, it's Raph's turn. Honestly, I don't know what else to say anymore. I've run out of creative things to say in these notes. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed. It means the world to me that you're still following this story and that you haven't given up on me. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you've enjoyed the previous ones.

Disclaimer: TMNT belongs to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of the story and that's it.

Raph knocked on Lucindra's window, hoping that she was there. He ached all over and really wanted her to help. If he went home, he knew Leo would demand to know how he got hurt, and he wasn't in the mood for the lecture his answer would bring. Luckily, she appeared and looked horrified as she took in his appearance.

"Damn, Raph, what the hell happened to you?" she demanded.

"I'll tell you in a minute," he answered. "Just let me in."

Lucindra did as he asked and helped him to the couch. Then she went into the kitchen and found some ice packs she had stored in the refrigerator and handed them to him.

"Now tell me what happened."

"Remember that chick named Lynn I told you about?"

She nodded. "Yeah, you guys thought she was Robyn and that she'd escaped the fire."

"Well, we confronted her one night and asked her to tell us who she was. Leo tried to force her to tell us what we wanted to know when she tried to go away which led to a fight. They were strugglin' and Leo fell off of the water tower. I tried to go for him, but Lynn pointed a gun at me and the others and told us to stay back. Lynn looked like she was gonna kill him, but he threw a smoke bomb in her face and kicked her off of the water tower. Donnie wanted to check to see if she was alive, but Leo told him to let her be and we left. We thought that would be the end of it, but then we saw the news the next night, and that changed everything."

22222

"We have breaking news," Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe reported. "A woman's body was found in a Dumpster. This is the second report that has come in. She has been identified as nineteen-year-old Lynn Obiero. Her parents recognized her form the burn scars she received in a car fire when she was eight years old."

"Burn scars?" Raph repeated.

"Her parents?" Don gasped.

"Dudes, you know what this means, don't you?" Mikey asked them.

Leo had a shocked look on his face. "Yeah," he replied. "Lynn wasn't Robyn. I killed an innocent girl."

"She was gonna kill you, bro," Raph reminded him. "That doesn't make her innocent in my book."

"Your brother is right, Leonardo," Splinter added. "If you had spared her, she would have killed you and your brothers."

Just then, the Turtles' T-Phones went off, indicating that they had a text message. They opened their phones and weren't surprised at what was written there.

**Oops! Looks like you got the wrong girl. Better watch your step, freaks, before more innocent lives are taken.—A. **

Raph gritted his teeth in anger as he read the message. He'd had enough of these stupid threats. Robyn needed to be found so that this madness would stop. If they didn't, Robyn would murder again. Raph thought of the friends they'd made: Lucindra, Madison, Irma, Murakami, and even Kirby. They would all be on Robyn's hit list if she wasn't stopped soon.

22222

Lucindra's eyes widened as she processed Raph's words. "So that chick wasn't Robyn at all?" she asked.

Raph nodded. "You heard it. Of course, after we got that text, we knew somethin' had to be done, but we didn't know what. That's when Kirby stepped in and brought in one of the detectives that had been assigned to April's case after she disappeared. I wasn't too keen on the idea of more humans knowin' about us, but there was no other way to figure out where Robyn was and how to stop her."

22222

The next day, Kirby came down to the Lair accompanied by a woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a heart-shaped face. When Raph first set eyes on her, he couldn't believe how pretty she was and why Kirby had brought her down to see them.

"Boys, Master Splinter, this is Detective Alison Brennan," Kirby said. "She was the one who was assigned to April's case after she vanished."

Alison smiled at them. "It's nice to finally meet all of you," she said.

Raph was floored. There was no way this woman was a detective. She was the type to be a runway model.

"Wait, you've known about us all along?" asked Donnie.

She nodded. "Yes, I have. My partner, Jack Kurtzman, and I were taken into Mr. O'Neil's confidence. He said that you four were April's closest friends but that you wouldn't want to be questioned due to your mistrust of humans. That's why Mr. O'Neil concocted the story that April was last seen at Murakami's noodle shop as that would help keep the police busy. Kurtzman and I helped to fabricate things and decided not to question you because Kirby knew you wouldn't like it. He told us of the real story and where April had really been though, so we knew everything."

"But how did you even know about us?" Leo questioned.

"Kurtzman and I were assigned to the missing scientist case," Alison replied. "We were investigating how the scientists had gone missing and who could have taken them. We decided to follow Mr. O'Neil's daughter after the Kraang tried to apprehend her. We saw her with the four of you and decided to keep tabs on you to make sure you would all be safe."

"So you guys were basically spying on us?" Raph demanded, his green eyes flashing with anger.

"Yes, but it was for a god cause," she explained. "We haven't told anyone about you and we never will."

"So why are you here now?" Leo asked her.

"To help you locate Robyn O'Neil," Alison explained. "Kirby told me about the texts from A. I know you've tried to trace them and haven't had any luck with that, so I thought that maybe I could help you. All you have to do is give me one of the texts A sent you."

Don took out his T-Phone and showed her the latest text from A.

"Thanks," she said. "I'm going to take this message and see if I can track where it came from. In the meantime, continue patrolling the city and if you see anything suspicious, let me know. And if you get any more texts, forward them to me immediately." She handed them her business card with her number on it.

"Hey, before you leave, I wanna ask you something," Mikey began. "Do you have a cool magnifying glass you carry along with you to look for clues?"

Alison laughed. "No, I don't," she said. "You watch way too many movies, Mikey. Well, I'll talk to you later." She waved to them as Kirby escorted her out.

"I don't like this, Leo," Raph said. "How do we know we can trust her?"

"She's a detective, Raph," Leo reminded him. "She's been working on April's case for a long time, and she's the best chance wev'e got at ending this. If she can track Robyn down, then this will all be over."

Raph knew Leo was right, but he didn't like the idea that someone had been spying on them all along and that this person was supposed to be helping them catch a crazy person. How did they know Alison wasn't biding her time to sell them to the highest bidder? He wanted to say something to Leo, but he knew it was just end in a fight, so he kept his mouth shut and just went to his room.

22222

"Okay, I get all of that, but it still doesn't explain why you look like you were in a WWE match," Lucindra said impatiently.

"I know, but I had to start somewhere," Raph replied. "So after Alison's visit, we continued to patrol the city. Sometimes we did it together, and sometimes just one of us was out there alone. Tonight was my night to patrol and I was determined to find out where Robyn was and take her down myself…."

22222

Raph kept his eyes peeled for any suspicious activity just as Alison had asked them to. He didn't trust her, but he knew she had a point when she said that Robyn was still out there. Just as he was nearing Murakami's noodle shop, he heard voices in the alley. Curious, he went over there to see what was going on.

"Angel, what the hell do you think you're doin' here?" a guy wearing a hockey mask and carrying an assortment of weapons demanded.

Angel glared at him. "I was just taking a walk," she replied. "Stay out of my business, Casey. You don't own me."

Casey pointed a finger at her. "Hey, I made a promise to your grandma to keep an eye on you, and I intend to do just that," he said. "Now let's go." He grabbed her arm and started to drag her away.

"Let go of me, Casey!" she yelled.

Raph decided he needed to intervene before things got out of control. He jumped off the roof, making sure he was completely hidden in the shadows. "I suggest you do what the lady says," he ordered.

"Stay out of this, punk!" Casey retorted. "This doesn't concern you."

"It does if you're hurtin' girls," Rah countered. "Let her go."

Caey released Angel and glared at Raph. "You've got some nerve stickin' your nose where it don't belong!" he snarled. "Why don't you stop hidin' and face me like a man?"

Raph gritted his teeth and pulled out his sais. "Okay, let's see what you got," he said as he stepped out of the shadows.

Casey's eyes widened as he took stock of Raph's appearance. "Another turtle?" he gasped. "Now I've seen everything in this city."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raph demanded.

"Don' you watch the news?" Casey asked. "I'm talkin' about all of the sudden murders. I've been keepin' tabs on the city lookin' for whoever did this, and now I may have just caught the guy."

Raph looked around, searching for someone until he realized Casey meant him. "Wait, you think I'm the one who killed those girls?"

"Well, you're crazy enough to do it," Casey answered.

"I don't kill unless I have to," Raph told him. "What are you doin' out here anyway? Shouldn't you be at home? How do I know you didn't kill someone?" He definitely still suspected Robyn, but he figured he could do his own investigation and see if Casey had seen anything.

"'Cause I'm not a murderer," Casey replied. "I respect life and would never just kill someone. Now go back to where you came from."

"Grabbin' a woman's arm ain't a sign of respect," Raph retorted. "I know you're worried about her, but you shouldn't treat her that way."

"You can't tell me what to do, freak!" Casey spat. "Looks like you need to be taught a lesson." He pulled out a hockey stick and held it in front of his face.

"Casey, stop!" Angel begged. "He's not worth it!"

Casey glared at her. "Go home, Angel, and don't let me catch you out here again," he ordered.

Angel crossed her arms and stayed where she was. Raph had to give her some credit for standing up for herself and not letting Casey treat her like he owned her. It reminded him of how he would stand up to Leo whenever Leo gave him an order to do something like he owned his brothers. Before he could commend her on that, Casey's hockey stick connected with his head. He fell to the ground and grunted. Okay, Casey had to pay for that one. He got up and aimed a sai right for Casey's face. Casey dodged it and managed to catch Raph in the stomach. Raph doubled over and Casey followed that up with a punch to Raph's jaw. Raph's head snapped back, and he staggered back but didn't fall. With a roar of rage, Raph lunged for him again, but Casey caught him and swept his legs out from under him. He pinned Raph to the ground and kept on punching his face repeatedly. Raph tried to buck him off, but Casey was too strong for him.

Suddenly, Raph saw Angel tackle Casey to the ground and begin pummeling him.

"Angel, stop it!" Casey yelled.

"You stop it!" she counted. "What's wrong with you? Why do you always have to fight someone?"

"I'm just tryin' to protect you, Angel," said Casey. "I care about you."

"I don't need your help or your protection!" retorted Angel. "Just leave me alone!" And with that, she turned and fled.

"Angel, wait!" called Casey, but she was gone. "Dammit! This is all your fault, freak! If you hadn't interfered I could have reached out to her!"

"Give her some space, man," said Raph, deciding to ignore what Casey had called him. "She's been through a lot."

"Stay out of it. You don't know anything."

"I know more than you do," countered Raph. "She doesn't have any parents, and her brother's a mutant who works for Shredder and doesn't want her. How would you feel if your family didn't want you?"

"Whatever," Casey grumbled. "This isn't over, freak. You'll be seein' more of me around here."

Raph smiled at him. "I look forward to it," he said. He waited until Casey was gone and then headed to Lucindra's.

22222

"Damn, Raph, I can't believe you did that!" Lucindra exclaimed when he was finished.

"Well, I had to show him who was boss," said Raph with a smile.

"So you don't think he killed anyone?"

"Well, I still think it's Robyn. Casey may be crazy, but he doesn't strike me as a cold-blooded killer. That's why Ali and Kurtzman are on the case. I just hope they can help us end this thing for good."

"I'm sure they'll come up with somethin'," Lucindra assured him.

Raph looked at the clock. "Man, I better get home before Splinter and Leo get on my case."

"You sure you don't want to spend the night here?" Lucindra said seductively, batting her eyelashes and rubbing her hand up and down his arm.

He smiled. He was tempted to say yes, but he didn't want to have to make up a story about why he had come home during the daytime. "Sorry, Cindra, but I'll have to take a rain check this time," he said. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Thanks for takin' care of me, but I'll be fine." Then he exited out her window and headed for home. He knew he'd have some explaining to do about his injuries, but he wasn't worried about that anymore. It wasn't like he'd started the fight anyway.

When he entered the Lair, he found Splinter waiting up for him as he always did whenever one of his sons left the Lair on their own. He took in Raph's appearance and shook his head.

"I see you are injured, Raphael," he said. "What happened?"

"I got in a fight," answered Raph. "It's no big deal. I'm fine. I got patched up at Lucindra's."

Splinter nodded. "That is good. Who did you fight?"

"Just some guy in a hockey mask," said Raph. "He said his name was Casey."

"Then perhaps we'll have to watch this man very carefully," Splinter mused.

"I don't' think he killed Oyuki," said Raph. "He's just a crazy guy lookin' for justice."

"Perhaps. But we should still keep an eye on him to make sure. Now that you are home, I am going to bed."

"So am I. I'll see you in the mornin', Sensei." He watched his father leave and then went to his own room. He couldn't stop thinking about Casey and what had happened. H wasn't a killer, but he was definitely crazy and had a temper. Raph knew he would see him again, but he hoped that next time he'd come out looking better than he had this time. His phone chimed, indicating that he had a text. He pulled it out and read the message.

**Hey, Raph, it sucks being someone's punching bag. I guess that's what you get for trying to stick your nose where it doesn't belong. This is your last warning: Stop interfering or what I do to you will be much worse.—A. **

A/N: Oh man, things are really heating up now. So now they know Lynn wasn't Robyn, so where is she? Does she have someone else working for her? When will she show her face? Will Raph and Casey remain enemies, or will they become best friends who drink beer together? You'll just have to read on to find out. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Lie After Lie

A/N: My, it's been a while since I've come back to this story! I'm so sorry for the delay but I was sick of writing and then suddenly hitting a wall of writer's block which would cause me to delay getting chapters out. So that's why I've waited so long in posting this story because I wanted to see how long it would last. I've started getting back into writing it again, so I figured it was a good idea to just post the chapters I have written and go from there. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed. Your kind words have been awesome.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.

"So, did you want to hang out tonight?" Irma asked Donnie. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"I'm sorry, Irma, but I've been really busy," Don replied. He'd been on MyFace hoping to see if Ivy would contact him again, but she'd been absent for a while. After Raph had gotten another note from A, Don had been desperate for this to come to an end. Although Ali was on the case, Don thought talking to Ivy would help out a lot, and he would forward the information to Ali.

"What have you been doing?"

"I've been trying to find out more information about Robyn, so I've been in contact with one of her roommates at Crestwood. I was hoping to talk to her again tonight?"

"Wait, you're talking to a girl who used to be in a mental hospital?" Irma asked incredulously.

"Yes, I am. There's no harm in that."

"Are you crazy, Donatello?" Irma cried. "Why would you want to associate with someone who's been in the loony bin?"

"Because I want to find out more information about Robyn so we can take her down for good," explained Don.

"But what if she really isn't who she says she is? You could be walking into a trap."

"It's not like I'm going to go out and meet her, Irma," pointed out Don. "I'm just trying to end this nightmare for all of us. You want that, too, don't you?"

Irma sighed. "Of course I do, Donnie. I just want you to be careful that's all."

"Don't worry, Irma, I know what I'm doing," Don reassured her. "Nothing's going to happen. I promise."

"I hope you're right. I just worry about you, Donnie. I don't want what happened to April to happen to you."

"And that's why I'm doing this," replied Don. "I want to make sure no one has to suffer the same fate as April, Lynn, and Oyuki."

"I knew there was a reason I loved you, Hamato Donatello."

Don's heart leapt at her words. Ever since April had disappeared, Don had thought that his life was ruined and that he couldn't go on without her. But since he met Irma, all of that had changed, and he felt hopeful again that his life was getting better ad that he could still have a shot at a relationship. Yes, there were risks involved as Splinter and his brothers had pointed out, but Don believed that Irma was strong enough to deal with those risks just as his other brothers' friends were doing the same thing. So far, it was working, and Don was determined that nothing would stand in the way of what they had together.

"I love you, too, Irma Langenstein, and I promise to do everything in my power to protect you from harm."

"I know you will, Donnie," she replied. "That's all I ask of you. Look, I've got to go. I've got some reading to do, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay," Don said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," replied Irma.

After she hung up, Don focused his attention on his computer which was indicating he had a message. Curious, he clicked on it to see if Ivy wanted to talk to him.

**Poison Ivy: Hey, Donnie, you there? **

Don smiled to himself. He hadn't heard from Ivy since the last time he'd talked to her, and he'd been wondering if he'd ever get to talk to her again.

**Donnie T: Yeah, I'm here. What's up? **

**Poison Ivy: Just wanted to know if you located the person of interest. **

**Donnie T: What person? **

**Poison Ivy: You know who I mean. Did you talk to Robyn?**

**Donnie T: No, Lynn wasn't Robyn. You heard about her death, right? **

**Poison Ivy: Yeah, that was crazy. You think Robyn killed her?**

**Donnie T: We think so. Why did you want to talk to me? **

**Poison Ivy: I just remembered something I forgot to mention last time.**

**Donnie T: What is it? **

**Poison Ivy: Well, I remember Robyn would always complain about her sister and how horrible she was. One day she was complaining about this boy April was always talking about. Actually, she was talking about two boys and how April couldn't decide who she liked better. **

**Donnie T: Really? What were the boys' names? **

**Poison Ivy: Donnie and Casey. Wait, your name is Donnie. Was she talking about you? **

**Donnie T: Yeah, she was, but I never knew about this Casey guy. Did Robyn say how many dates they went on? **

**Poison Ivy: I think they went on two dates total. They also studied together too. **

That made Don remember how April once said she couldn't come over because she had to tutor a classmate. She never said what their name was, but that she had to tutor a guy in Trig because he was failing it. Now he realized it was Casey she was talking about. Don then remembered Raph talking about a guy named Casey in a hockey mask who had fought with his brother. Could that Casey and the guy April tutored be the same guy? It wasn't a mere coincidence that there were two guys named Casey, so he had to be the same one.

**Poison Ivy: You still there, Donnie? **

**Donnie T: Yeah, just doing some thinking. So is that all you wanted to tell me? **

**Poison Ivy: Not quite. Robyn was jealous of April, but then she fell in love, too. **

**Donnie T: You mean at Crestwood? **

**Poison Ivy: Yeah, After she met him, she stopped feeling jealous over April and immersed herself in this relationship. She was happy that she knew where she stood with her relationship while April was still confused about who she liked. **

**Donnie T: How long did this go on? **

**Poison Ivy: For a few weeks until April confessed that she loved Donnie and that Casey wasn't' her type. **

Don's heart leapt at those words He was glad April had chosen him over Casey even though he had never met the guy. Still, something nagged at him.

**Donnie T: Do you think Robyn made up her boyfriend to get April to confess her love for me? **

**Poison Ivy: No. He was real and I knew him. **

**Donnie: What was his name? **

**Poison Ivy: Jason Biggerstaff. He was a patient here, and a lot of girls liked him, but he chose Robyn. A lot of the girls were jealous of her and hated her for it, but Robyn didn't care. **

**Donnie T: Were you jealous of her? **

**Poison Ivy: Nope. I was happy for her. She acted like a different person when he was around. **

**Donnie T: Is he still around? **

**Poison Ivy: I think so, but I'm not sure if he's still in Crestwood or if he's out. I could look him up and get back to you if you want. **

Don thought about what she said and figured it was a good idea. Maybe he was still in Crestwood and could probably tell him more about Robyn. If Robyn was in contact with Jason, then that meant she was alive. He was about to talk to Ivy when a new message appeared.

** A: You just don't know when to stop, do you? Looks like you need to be taught a lesson. **

Don was about to respond to the message when the screen went black and the computer shut off. He tried to turn it back on, but nothing happened. A had ruined his computer, and he couldn't get in touch with Ivy again. A had messed this all up and had done it on purpose. The worst part was that he couldn't forward the A message to Ali with no computer. It looked like he was going to have to go to the junkyard and find a different computer to use. This definitely wasn't fair right now.

He spied April's journal sitting on his nightstand. Kirby had given the Turtles her journal because he figured they'd want something to remember her by. They had read some of it together to see what April had written about Robyn. She had written plenty of regular stuff, but she'd also written about the Turtles' secrets that the brothers hadn't shared with anyone else. Now they knew each other's secrets. Don was bothered that his brothers now knew about his kiss with April, but they hadn't teased him about it as they normally would have given the circumstances of what had happened after that. Now Don was curious to see if April had written about Casey in her journal, so he opened it up and looked through it. At first he didn't see anything of significance until he spotted the name and began to read the entry.

"I have to tutor Casey Jones in Trig," April wrote. "I can't believe I have to do this! Casey's a jerk, and he thinks he's better than everyone else. He barely pays attention in class, and all he talks about is hockey and how he wants to go pro someday. I don't know how he's survived school this long without getting expelled. Well, I guess I'll just have to get it over with."

Don smiled as he read that last sentence. He could just imagine April fuming at the thought of tutoring someone she didn't like. He read the next entry, curious to see what else April had to say about Casey.

"As it turns out, Casey's not such a bad guy once you get to know him," April wrote. ""He hates school, but he can focus as long as you explain it to him in easy terms. I found out he lives with his dad and little sister and that his mom died of breast cancer. I felt sorry for him and told him my mom was gone, too. We seem to have a connection and I have a feeling we're going to be good friends. I hope that I can help him pass Trig."

Don wasn't sure how to read that. Did April mean a connection as in a friendly connection, or did she have a crush on him? He looked at other entries, but they were all about him and his brothers. Then he saw Casey's name again and began to read.

"Casey asked me out on a date, and I said yes," April wrote. "He took me to Murakami's and we had a nice dinner. I told him a little bit about the Turtles though I didn't tell him who they really were. He didn't ask a lot of questions, so that was a good thing. He told me about his friend, Nick, who he had a fight with after an accident at a hockey game they were playing in. He said they hadn't made up, and he doubted they ever would. It made me feel bad for him and thankful that I've never had a fight with the guys. I don't know what I would do if it came to that. I'd probably be very upset.

"Anyway, after dinner, he took me home and asked if he could kiss me when we were at my door. I gave him permission because I didn't want to hurt his feelings, and it felt so good. I honestly can't tell you if I liked Donnie's kiss better or Casey's. They're both very good kissers."

Don shuddered after reading that. How could she not have chosen between them? It was obvious who was better suited for her and it wasn't Casey Jones. Don read another entry and became even more upset.

"I'm really starting to like Casey," April wrote. "There's a different side to him, and he's really sweet, too. I honestly feel like I'm falling in love with him. But what does that mean for Donnie? I really love him, too. Dad always has told me that when it comes to making a choice you should always consider the pros and cons of both choices, so that's what I'm going to do.

"Donnie was the first one I met, and I really felt a connection to him. He saved my life and my dad's too, so I feel like I owe him for that. Besides that, he's just fun to be around, and he's really smart too. And without him, I never would have met the other Turtles or Master Splinter. I never would have become a kunoichi in training.

"On the other hand, Casey has a sweet side to him, and while I may not have known him as long as I've known Donnie, there's still a part of me that really likes him. As I've gotten to know him better, I feel like my feelings for him have gotten stronger."

Don shut the journal with a snap, not wanting to read any more. A feeling of anger washed over him. He was angry that April had lied to him. He always thought April would be honest with him no matter what, but she had lied to him and had kissed someone else without telling him. She had kissed someone else after kissing him, which meant that she'd been cheating on him. He'd always held April to this high standard that she could never do anything wrong, but now he knew that she was no different than her demented twin sister as far as lying went.

Still angered by these revelations, Don decided to go to the junkyard to salvage a new computer. But before he could leave, Splinter called, "Donatello, may I have a word with you?"

"Sorry, Sensei, but I have to find a new computer," Don replied. "A crashed the other one."

"A crashed your computer?" Leo gasped. "How?"

"I was talking to Ivy when I got a message from A. Then my computer crashed and I couldn't get back on."

"Did you send the message to Alison?" Leo asked him.

"I couldn't because the computer crashed before I could!" snapped Don. He was about to say more wen Splinter interrupted him.

"Donatello a word please!" he commanded.

Don followed his father to his chambers, wondering what this was all about. He hoped it wouldn't be long so he could go to the junkyard and get a new computer.

Splinter eyed Donnie as the purple-clad Turtle knelt before him. "I sense that you are troubled, my son."

"Well, A crashed my computer," Don pointed out. "I think anyone would be troubled by that."

Splinter gave him the "You're not fooling me one bit" look that Don had come to know so well. It was hard to get anything past Master Splinter as he had a way of making you tell the truth even if you didn't want to.

"It's about April, Sensei," confessed Don. "I read her journal and she wrote about kissing some guy named Casey Jones and how she was falling in love with him."

"I see," Splinter mused. "And why does that trouble you, Donatello?"

"Because she lied to me, Master!" Don burst out. "She told me she liked me and never said anything about Casey. I never thought April would keep secrets from me, but now I know she did."

"And yet, she also knew things about your brothers she never shared with you as well and things she knew about you that she never told them," Splinter pointed out. "So how is that any different than April not telling you about kissing someone else?"

"Because this affects me and not them!" Don answered. "It's not just that she kept it from me, but she was cheating on me!"

"But you were not in an established relationship, Donatello," Splinter reminded him. "Yes, she kissed you, but you did not make your relationship official. Therefore, she was not cheating on you." He sighed. "Ah, Donatello, I had hoped you would not stray into this path."

"What do you mean, Sensei?" asked Don.

"The path of jealousy and hatred which you now feel and that you feel April was only your possession and no one else's," replied Splinter.

"But I don't feel that way!" protested Don.

"Yes, you do, Donatello," contradicted Splinter. "You feel that April should not have been allowed to kiss anyone else other than you even though neither of you agreed to a committed relationship. You feel hatred for someone you do not know because you feel that he kissed someone that belongs to you and you alone. April did not tell you about these kisses because she felt it was a private matter and she had every right to keep it private. Sometimes, there are secrets we should have the right to keep to ourselves, my son. There are some things you have not told your brothers, am I correct?"

"Hai, Sensei," Don said shortly.

"And why do you keep things from them?"

"Because I want to keep them to myself," he replied.

"So do you see how foolish you are to become so upset at something that was meant to be a secret when you yourself have kept secrets you did not want others to know?"

Some rational part of Donnie's head told him that Splinter had a point in what he was saying, but another part of him argued and said that he did have a right to know what was going on in April's life.

"It's not foolish, Sensei," Don replied. "She kissed another guy and didn't have the decency to tell me about it. That's wrong."

Splinter tried another tact. "Then let us assume April did tell you about the kiss with Casey. Would you feel better knowing that she was honest with you, or would you still feel upset and betrayed that she kissed someone else?"

"I'd still feel upset, but at least I'd know she was honest with me."

"And April probably didn't tell you about it because she knew you would be upset that she had kissed someone else, which shows that she cared about your feelings and did not want to cause you any distress. You would do the same for her, would you not?"

Don thought about what Splinter was asking him: Would he have been able to do what April had done to protect her? "It depends on the situation," he finally said. "If I had to choose to protect her, I would, but if I had to lie to her to protect her, I wouldn't do it. And she didn't have to do it either."

"No, she did not, but she did. What's done is done, Donatello. There is no sense in torturing yourself over something that is in the past. Right now, your focus should be on A and on Robyn."

"You're right, and speaking of A, I have to go to the junkyard and get a new computer seeing as how A crashed mine."

"Then go and do so, my son. But be sure to keep our discussion in mind and do not forget it."

"Hai, Sensei," Don said, bowing to him before leaving the room. He had to focus right now, but he made a note to continue perusing April's journal entries later.

22222

The junkyard was fairly quiet and just the right place for Don to do what he wanted to do. He looked around, and to his delight, he found a laptop that appeared to be in good condition. He cursed the person who had thrown it out and figured they probably did so because they didn't know how to work it properly. It just showed how dumb people were when it came to technology and not wanting to get things fixed. Just as he was about to leave, a noise brought him to attention. He pulled out his bo staff and saw a guy in a hockey mask climbing the fence. Don slunk into the shadows, his eyes still on the person. He wondered if it was a homeless person looking for something to take. But why would they have a hockey mask on?

Suddenly a voice said, "Come out of your hidin' spot!"

Don stiffened and thought about leaving. Would this person spot him before he could make an escape? And how had he known that Don was there?

"C'mon, I know you're there. I saw you rootin' around before."

Well, that answered Don's question, and he knew he couldn't hide any longer. Slowly, he came out of his hiding place, ready to confront the strange person. He stepped out of the shadows and saw that the person wasn't surprised by his appearance.

"Damn, how many of you are there?" the guy asked.

His question shocked Don, but then he remembered Mikey talking about the strange guy in a hockey mask and Raph had done the same. This must have been the guy they were talking about. "Why does it matter to you?" he demanded.

"Well, after those women's bodies turned up, I figured it had to be someone weird doin' it, and what would be weirder than guys in turtle costumes? After all, you can't get a good ID of you guys."

"Wait, you think we're the ones behind those murders?" Don asked him.

The guy laughed. "Makes sense," he said. "Bad guys have a reason for doing what they do. Sow what's yours?"

"We're not the ones behind those murders," Don informed him. "One of the women who was murdered was my brother's best friend. Do you really think we'd do that to him?"

"Nah, I guess not, but it was the cloest thing I could think of," the guy said. "Looks like I'll have to try another theory."

"How long have you been doing this?" asked Don.

"Since my friend, April, disappeared," he answered. "I've been tryin' to track down who killed her, but I haven't had any luck."

Don was shocked by the guy's answer. First, he knew April and had been trying to find her killer for a long time. Second, he believed that Don and his brothers had been the culprits.

"April's murder was already solved," said Don. "It was her twin sister, Robyn, who killed her."

"April had a twin sister? She never told me that!"

"She never told us, either," replied Don.

"Wait, you knew April? How?"

"She was our best friend," answered Don. "We saved her from aliens known as the Kraang who were trying to kidnap her. They kidnapped her dad, and we rescued him. She was with us the night she disappeared, but we didn't kill her."

"Come to think of it, she did talk about some friends of hers. They were brothers who were homeschooled by their dad. She talked about them a lot. So, that was you guys, huh?"

"Yep, that would be us," said Don. "What else did she tell you about us?"

"She said that you were studyin' martial arts and so was she. She would always talk about the things you guys woud do together, but she talked the most about a guy named Donnie. She talked about how smart he was and how she had such a connection with him. I tried to take her out on dates 'cause I liked her, but she never seemed into it. I tried askin' her out some more, but she kept makin' excuses as to why she couldn't go, so I just gave up on it all. Then she disappeared, and I knew I had to track down who killed her. I thought that by doing that, it would make us even."

Then Don realized who he was talking to. This was Casey Jones, the guy in April's journal entries. He waited for the intense anger he had felt after reading those entries to come over him again, but instead, he found himself feeling sorry for Casey. He had also lost a close friend and had been spending all his time trying to track down her killer. A wave of shame swept over Donnie as he thought about how much he'd hated this man for kissing April when he really had no right to feel that way. Casey wasn't a bad guy after all, and he'd probably been beating himself up about this whole thing just like Donnie had been.

"I'm sorry April didn't choose you," he said softly. "I'm sure you would have made a good match for her, and I'm sorry if I caused any rift in your friendship. When I read April's journal and found out that she kissed you, I was jealous of you and mad that she never told me about you. But now I understand why she didn't tell me, and I have no hard feelings for you at all."

Casey smiled. "So, you're my arch nemesis," he teased. "Wow. I'm still surprised I never figured it out. I'm Casey Jones."

Don smiled back. "I'm Donatello, but you can call me Donnie for short," he said.

"Nice to meet you," said Casey. Then he looked at his watch. "Aw, man, I gotta go home. I got work in the mornin'."

"Where do you work?" Don asked him.

"Well, my dad wanted me to work for him, but I'm not cut out for workin' with bugs and rats, so I work at a mechanic shop fixin' cars and stuff. It's not my dad's job, but I like what I do, and that's all that matters."

"What would you like to do instead?" Don asked him.

"Well, I wanted to be a pro hockey player, but most of those guys go to college before they're selected for the big leagues."

"So why don't you go to college?"

"School was never my thing," answered Casey. "That's why April had to tutor me. Before she disappeared, I was doin' great, but after she vanished, my grades slipped again and I just never wanted to go to college. But maybe I could be a bounty hunter like that guy on TV. You know, the one with the hot wife with the huge knockers? What's his name again?"

"You mean Dog the Bounty Hunter," said Don. "And, yeah, he's pretty good. Raph watches the show a lot."

"Yeah, that's the one. Seems like it would be a cool job. So, do you wanna come up to my place for a beer, Donnie?"

"No thanks," Don replied. "It was nice meeting you though."

"Yeah, same here," replied Casey. "I hope that you and your other brothers can finish all of this. Maybe I could help out."

"I'll talk to them and get back to you," said Don. He gave Casey his number, and Casey did the same. Then Don left the junkyard and headed back home with his treasure. He was in better sprits than he'd been when he arrived, and he knew it was all thanks to Casey Jones and realizing that he was really a great guy. He wasn't sure if his brothers would want to join forces with him, but they needed all the help they could get.

He arrived home and saw that his brothers were watching TV. He was going to talk to them about meeting Casey and taking him on as an ally, but he really didn't feel like going into it now. He wished them goodnight and said goodnight to Splinter before setting his new computer down in his lab. His phone chimed, indicating he had a text. At first he thought it was Casey, but then he saw the address and knew that it wasn't anything good.

**Hey, Donnie, looks like you both have something in common: You both never had a chance with April. You may have a new friend now, but if you keep nosing around, I'm going to make sure that your new friend is permanently terminated.—A. **

A/N: And so ends another chapter. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I'm glad I'm getting this series back on track as it should be. I hope to have the next chapter up soon. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Goodbye Is Not Forever

A/N: Here's the next chapter as I promised you. I don't know if I'll do this every Friday, but I'll do my best to try and keep this consistent. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.

Mikey sat dejectedly as he waited for practice to be over. Splinter had asked to speak with him afterwards, and the orange-clad Turtle knew it was because of his lack of focus in today's session. Why couldn't Splinter just cut him some slack? After all, he was still dealing with the murder of his best friend.

After practice was over, Mikey followed Splinter to his room. As his father sat down and beckoned him over, his face wasn't stern but rather sympathetic as though he felt sorry for the Turtle.

"I know what you're gonna say, Sensei, so just say it," he said.

"What do you think I am going to say, my son?" Splinter asked him.

"You're gonna say I wasn't focused in practice and that I was lazy," Mikey recited. "Then you're gonna say that I can do better than I did today."

"On the contrary, Michelangelo, I was not going to say any of that," Splinter told him. "I noticed that you were troubled, and I was going to ask about what is troubling you."

Mikey took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Murakami wants me to come by today 'cause they've decided whether they're gonna bury Oyuki here or in Japan," he replied.

Splinter stroked his beard. "I see," he said. "I understand why this would cause you to lose focus as you wish for her to be buried here. I, too, felt the same way after Tang Shen died and I was devastated that I could not pay my respect to her."

"Did she have a funeral?" Mikey asked.

"It was a memorial service since her body was never recovered in the fire," Splinter answered. "But my heart still ached that I could not be present for it. One of her friends set me a letter that contained her obituary. I wanted to go, but I was afraid Saki would find me and finish what he started there, so I stayed away. I thought about going back, but by then I had found the four of you and our lives changed." He put a paw on his son's shoulder. "It will take time for you to heal, but there is truth in the phrase, 'Every dark cloud has a silver lining.' My silver lining was when I found the four of you and we became a family, and I still hold that dear to my heart."

Mikey understood what Splinter meant, but instead of feeling that comforting feeling of reassurance he usually felt when Splinter comforted him, he still felt that sad, longing ache in his heart. He wanted to believe what his father was saying, but part of him just wasn't sure about anything.

"Do you understand what I am saying, my son?"

"I do, Sensei, but I just can't get my hopes up for anything."

"I understand, my son," said Splinter gently. "But I do not want you to be consumed by grief to the point where you lose hope and happiness completely as that is no way for you to live, Michelangelo. You are the light of this family and fill everyone with happiness. I do not want you to lose that for it would not be a good thing. It is all right to grieve and feel sad as long as you remember that this is truly not the end and that Oyuki is still with you and would want you to keep living for her sake."

"I'll try, Sensei," Mikey promised. "For Oyuki."

"That is all I ask, my son," Splinter said as he embraced Mikey. The orange-clad Turtle returned the embrace and began to feel better after his talk with his father. He bowed to Splinter and left to go visit his friend. As he made his way out, he saw Miwa sitting in the living area.

"Hey, Mikey, where are you off to?" Miwa asked him.

"I'm goin' to Murakami's to find out where they're gonna bury Oyuki's body," Mikey replied.

"Want some company?"

Mikey smiled at her. He hadn't spent a lot of time with his new sister and really felt it would be a good time to do so. "Sure, sis, you can come," he said.

Miwa smiled back at him. "Great, let's go," she said.

As they went through the sewers, Mikey noticed Miwa staring at him and thought she was studying his every move. He knew she was still getting used to the fact that they were her family now and not her enemies any longer, and Mikey felt sorry for her and what Shredder had done.

"I'm really sorry about what you've been through, sis," he said. "I can't imagine being raised one way and then being told that what you thought was true wasn't true at all. I think I would be really pissed if it was me."

"Thanks, Mikey," Miwa replied. "And I'm sorry for what you're going through with Oyuki's death. I know how you feel though. I never really knew my mother, but I was always sad that she was never around when I needed her the most. I definitely let my grief overcome me, especially after Shredder told me it was Splinter who killed her. That's why I hated you guys, but now I know the truth and what really happened."

"And how does that make you feel?" Mikey asked her.

"I'm upset that Shredder lied to me," she answered. "I want nothing more than to watch him suffer. I want revenge, Mikey. I want him to feel the same pain I felt at his betrayal. I want to see the look on his face as I renounce him as my father. I want to be the one to take away his life as he did my mother's."

Mikey was shocked by the bitter hatred in Miwa's voice, and though he understood her grief, it scared him a bit to know she was filled with such hatred.

"Do you think killing him is the answer?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said. "He deserves it for what he did to all of us."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Mikey said softly. "You ever hear of the saying, 'Two wrongs don't make a right?'"

"I have, but I don't believe it," she replied.

"Well, Sensei taught us that revenge isn't always the answer," said Mikey wisely. "He says that to seek vengeance is nothing but disaster and that it will only cause pain and bring bad karma to the one seeking it."

"Is that why he never avenged my mother?"

Mikey sighed. "He wanted to at first, but after he found us, he figured he had somethin' to live for again. I think he came to the realization that it would do no good once he had us because if he tried to fight Oroku Saki, he would die and we would be orphaned. So in a way, it's a good thing he didn't seek revenge. He also figured that Tang Shen wouldn't want it and that she'd want him to keep on living for her sake."

"Well, I don't feel that way Mikey," she said. "I hate him for what he did. Don't you hate Robyn for killing April and for killing Oyuki?"

"Sometimes, I do, but I try not to," Mikey admitted. "I really try my best not to let these feelings get to me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not a hateful guy, and Sensei taught us not to hate anybody," Mikey answered. "He said we should hate their actions and not the people who did them. Instead, we should pity them for choosing to do such harmful acts. That's how he put it anyway."

"So he doesn't hate Shredder for killing my mother and taking me?" Miwa asked incredulously.

"I think he did hate Shredder at first, but as time passed, I think he was sad about how his friendship with him ended and longed for it to go back to where it was. I'm sure he thought about it all of the time, but after he found us, he focused on raising us and decided to stop feeling sorry for himself and hating Shredder. He swore to protect us from him, and that's what he did for as long as he could."

"So you're saying I should stay away from him and focus on something new?"

"Yeah, like how you have a new family now. We've got your back, sis, and you can always count on us to give you a hand when you need it." He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Look, just promise me you won't do anything stupid, okay?"

She sighed. "Well, I was going to invade Shredder's stronghold and take him out, but I suppose I can put it off for your sake."

Mikey wasn't sure if Miwa was joking or not, but he decided to believe her. "That's good 'cause I don't want anything to happen to you, sis."

They reached Murakami's and found the place deserted as usual at this time of night. Mikey watched as Murakami reacted to the sound of his footsteps and made his way to greet him. He also noticed that Miwa seemed unsure as though she didn't belong there.

"Hey, Murakami-san, I came just as you asked me to," Mikey said.

"I am glad you have, Michelangelo-san. Who is your friend?"

Mikey put his arm around Miwa. "This is my sister, Miwa," he answered. "You guys have met before, but you don't know each other that well."

Miwa bowed to Murakami. "It's nice to see you again, Murakami-san," she said.

Recognition dawned on Murakami as his face clouded with anger. "You're the one who tried to kidnap April-chan," he said.

Miwa bowed her head. "Yes, but I've changed now. I have a new family and a different purpose. I no longer serve the Shredder."

Mikey told Murakami everything and explained how Miwa had come to live with them. "It's so rad havin' her as a sister. She's family now, and I hope you'll be able to forgive her for what she did before."

Murakami's face softened. "Of course I can do that," he said kindly. "Now, would you like some pizza gyoza?"

"You know it!" Mikey replied. "Oh, and I really think you need to stop servin' turtle soup. No offense, but that's nasty and an insult to my ancestors."

Instead of acting offended, Murakami chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I should stop serving it," he reasoned. "But did your Master tell you that it is a delicacy in Japan?"

"No, he never said that," Mikey said. "But it's still wrong."

"If you insist, Michelangelo-san, I will take it off of the menu."

"Sounds good to me. So what's going on with Oyuki's funeral?"

"They have decided not to bury her at all and have decided to cremate her instead," Murakami answered. "Her remains will be given to certain family members. I was one of the ones chosen, and I was thinking of giving them to you since you were her best friend."

"Will they be in a bag or somethin'?" asked Mikey.

"They will be in a box, and you may keep it with you or choose to bury it somewhere. It is up to you."

Mikey had never heard of such a thing before. Splinter used to tell them about funerals where bodies were buried or they were burned on a pyre, but no one ever kept the ashes. He wasn't sure he'd be able to do something like that. His eyes sought out Miwa, and she nodded in encouragement. Mikey realized she was supporting him and figured it had to do with what happened to her mother and how she never had any remains to keep.

"That's okay, Murakami-san," he replied. "You can have them."

"Thank you, Michelangelo-san," Murakami said. "How are your brothers doing?"

"They're pretty good," Mikey lied. "They've been pretty busy though." He was afraid Murakami would catch him in the lie, but the noodle chef didn't even blink. The truth was that they hadn't been fine since Lynn's death and Leo was taking it the hardest and having nightmares again. He wanted to tell Murakami this, but he didn't want to worry the blind chef. Mikey wished he could stop Leo from having these dreams because it hurt Mikey to see Leo in that state. Mikey saw Leo as a hero and a great warrior who was ready to take on any obstacle that came in his way. But this was different, and Mikey had no idea what to do to help his brother out.

The phone rang, snapping Mikey out of his thoughts. Murakami excused himself to answer it and Miwa turned on Mikey.

"Why did you lie to Murakami?" she whispered. "We could have used his help."

"I don't want to worry him, sis," Mikey replied. "He's got enough on his plate to think about."

Before Miwa could say anything else, Murakami came over to them. "I am sorry, my friends, but a customer just requested an order and he will be by to pick it up."

"Looks like that's our cue to exit," Mikey quipped.

"Yeah, I guess so," Miwa added. "It was nice to see you again, Murakami-san."

"Likewise, Miwa-chan," Murakami responded. "I hope to see the both of you again soon. Give my regards to your family." He gave them some pizza gyoza to take to the others. Before they left, Murakami put his hand on Mikey's shoulder. "Remember, Michelangelo-san, goodbye is not forever. You will see Oyuki once more."

"Thanks, Murakami-san," Mikey said softly. "I'll remember that."

As they made their way home, Mikey thought about what Murakami had said. Splinter had taught them that when someone dies, they are reincarnated in another form. He wondered what form Oyuki would take and if he would know it was her.

"Do you really buy that stuff Murakami said about you seeing Oyuki again?" Miwa asked him.

"Yeah, I do," Mikey answered. "Splinter taught us about reincarnation and I believe that it's true."

"I don't," Miwa challenged. "I think it's all errant nonsense. Whoever heard of being born again?"

"Didn't Shredder teach you about that stuff?" Mikey asked her.

Miwa shook her head. "No," she said. "He didn't talk about the afterlife or anything like that. He was more consumed with getting his revenge for my mother's murder and didn't concern himself with what happened to her after she died."

"I guess that doesn't surprise me," said Mikey. "But you do believe in something, right?"

"Yes, I do," she said softly. "I believe in what I can do for myself. I've been on my own for most of my life, so I've had to form my own beliefs and opinions about the world."

"I can see that. So if Splinter taught you about reincarnation, would you be willing to learn?"

"I'd probably try, but I'd have a hard time believing it."

"That's because you're afraid to believe in something you don't understand," said Mikey. "It's okay to be afraid of things because we all have fears. But as long as you learn to control your fear and not let it get the best of you, you'll be okay. Reincarnation isn't anything to be scared of. It's just all about being reborn in another body and continuing your life as someone else. I think that's kind of cool because if you do something bad in your old body, you can start fresh in your new one."

"That makes sense," Miwa said. "Maybe I could start fresh in this body, but if I could go to a new body, I would."

"What would you want to be reincarnated as if you could choose?"

"I'd want to be a cat," she said. "I've just always been fond of cats. I think that's why I love Klunk so much."

"Yeah, cats are cool for sure. I think I'd want to be a pro skateboarder and wow everyone with my awesome skills."

"You could definitely do that," Miwa conceded.

"Yeah, and you can have the life you never got to have," Mikey told her.

"You got that right, Mikey," she said. "I just wish there was something we could do for Leo."

Mikey's happy demeanor changed to sadness. "Yeah, I know," he said. "He just keeps beating himself up about what he did to Lynn. I just can't get through to him."

"There has to be a way," said Miwa determinedly. "We can't just give up on him." Then her eyes lit up. "What about Madison? Do you think she could talk to Leo?"

"I don't know, but you might be onto somethin', sis," he said. "I never even thought about that angle." He pulled out his phone to compose a text to Madison, hoping she'd be able to talk some sense into Leo.

"How do you know Madison's number?" Miwa asked him.

He smiled wickedly. "I have my ways," he replied evasively.

"Oh, really? Well, you'll have to teach me about some of your ways," she teased him.

Mikey shook his head. "A good ninja never reveals his secrets."

Suddenly, Mikey's phoned chimed. "It's probably Maddie answering my text," he said. But when he opened the text, he realized that it wasn't from Madison and let out a groan. "Oh, man, not this again."

"What is it?" asked Miwa. She leaned over Mikey's shoulder and read the text.

**Poor Mikey! It's so sad about your friend. Goodbye isn't forever you know, and I'm sure you'll be reunited with her soon if I have my way.—A. **

A/N: Oh man, things are still heating up. I loved writing about Mikey and Miwa as I feel it would have been good to have them spend time together. So what's going to happen next? You'll just have to keep reading. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Blood on His Hands

A/N: I know it's been a little while since I updated this, but I DID say it would depend on how I felt, and I've had some sinus trouble. However, I'm in the mood to post again, so here's the next chapter. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means the world to me that you're sticking with this despite my infrequent postings. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and Madison.

Leo moved through the series of katas, making sure his movements were fluid and graceful. This is what bothered him the most right now and he would continue to train as long as he wanted to. His brothers coaxed him to join them in watching marathons of Super Robo Mecha Force Five and even Space Heroes, but Leo declined. He didn't deserve any leisure time right now. He shook his head free of these thoughts and tried to focus again.

As he moved into the next series of katas, his eyes strayed to something lying on the dojo floor. Sighing, he made his way over so he could pick the item up but jumped back in surprise when he laid eyes on the body of Lynn Obiero. She was splayed out exactly as she had been when Leo pushed her off of the water tower. As he stared at her, Lynn's eyes flew open and she sat up, her eyes fixed on Leo.

"You killed me, Leo," she said. "You will suffer for your crime."

"I had no choice," Leo replied. "You were going to kill me, too."

She snorted. "Was I, Leo? Is that really what you think I was going to do to you? Just admit that you did it because you wanted to do it."

"I never wanted to kill you," said Leo. "I had no choice. I'm so sorry."

"It's too late for apologies, Leo," she said. "The blood's on your hands, and you can't wash it off." She pointed to Leo's hands.

He looked at them and found that they were covered in blood. He tried to wipe the blood off with no success. Then he looked up and saw Lynn coming toward him. He saw the hatred in her eyes and looked away, hoping this was just a dream. He looked up again, but she was still coming at him.

"No!" he begged. "Get away from me!"

Lynn didn't answer and continued to come toward him. Leo knew he was done for and that there was no way anyone could help him. He braced himself for whatever Lynn was going to do, but instead he felt something hit the side of his head, causing him to fall to the ground. Leo blinked and saw that Lynn wasn't there at all. He looked around and saw Splinter staring at him, a concerned look on his face. Then Leo realized that Splinter must have hit him.

Leo rubbed the spot where Splinter had struck him. "What was that for, Sensei?" he demanded.

"I am sorry, my son, but I had no choice," Splinter replied. "I was talking to you, but you did not hear me. You were shaking and looking at something. What were you looking at?"

Leo took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I saw Lynn, Sensei," he answered. "I've been seeing her a lot since it happened. I think she's haunting me because of what I did to her."

"Or perhaps this is a manifestation of you punishing yourself," Splinter mused. "You should not punish yourself, Leonardo. You did what you had to do in order to save yourself and your brothers."

"But I still killed an innocent person!" Leo protested. "I deserve to be punished."

"No, you do not," Splinter contradicted. "You had no idea Lynn was not Robyn, and you were just trusting your instincts. You need to learn to forgive yourself, my son. None of us judge you for your actions, and you should not judge yourself. Though Lynn was not working for Robyn, she is still not innocent with the way she acted toward you. You must let this go."

Before Leo could respond, his T-Phone began ringing. He picked it up and saw that Madison was calling him. He hadn't talked to her since Lynn's death because he felt she didn't deserve to be with a killer.

"Who is it, my son?" Splinter asked him.

"It's just Madison," Leo replied. "I'll call her later."

"You should answer it," urged Splinter.

"But I'm talking to you," replied Leo. "I'll talk to her when I'm done."

"We are done with this conversation," declared Splinter. "You may answer it."

Sighing, Leo did as he was told. "Hey, Maddie, what's up?"

"Leo, I thought you'd never answer me," she replied. "I was wondering if you wanted to get together tonight. We haven't seen each other in a while and I've missed you."

"Sorry, Maddie, but Master Splinter scheduled a training session for tonight," replied Leo. "We'll have to get together another time." Leo was about to say something else, but then Splinter snatched the phone away from him.

"Madison, this is Master Splinter. I am happy to inform you that the training session has been postponed and that Leonardo has my permission to come and see you. Yes, you can expect him to be there at seven tonight. It was nice talking to you as well. Goodbye, Madison."

After his father hung up and gave Leo back his T-Phone, Leo began to fume. "What did you do that for, Sensei?" he demanded.

"I was merely doing a kind service, my son," answered Splinter. "Your brothers have noticed that you have been avoiding Madison, and they are concerned about it, and so am I. Why are you avoiding her?"

And here they had come to the hardest thing ever. Leo had been avoiding her because he had been holding off the moment when he would have to end his relationship with her. Once she found out about what he'd done, she would never want to speak to him again. Leo didn't want to lose Madison because she was an important friend and a good one at that. But Leo knew that in light of what he did, he didn't deserve her as a friend or even as a girlfriend anymore. She would be better off with someone who was worthy of her love and not a cold-blooded killer. The thought of breaking things off with her shattered his heart in two, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He would just have to get it over with.

"Leonardo, you are not answering my question," reprimanded Splinter.

"I'm avoiding her because I'm thinking of ending our relationship," responded Leo.

"And why would you do that? She is a valuable ally."

"Because she doesn't deserve to be with a murderer." His voice cracked on the last word, betraying his true emotions, something he always tried very hard to hide.

"We have been over this, my son. You are a ninja and you have killed many times. Madison knows this and she has still stayed by your side. Why do you think she would suddenly abandon you?"

"Because this time, it's different!" snapped Leo. "We've been over this, Sensei! Lynn wasn't Robyn and I had no right to kill her! I should have spared her life since she had the answers we needed. Instead, I pushed her to her death before we could find out who she really was. Do you understand that, Sensei? I killed her in cold blood, and then I told my brothers to leave her there instead of getting help for her. We could have saved her life, but I ordered Donnie and the others to leave. It was a terrible thing to do, and I hate myself for it."

Splinter mulled over his son's words. "I understand why you would feel that way, but you should not be so rash in your decision to end things with Madison. Be honest with her and see what her reaction is before you do anything."

"Hai, Sensei, but I know she'll be mad at me," Leo said sadly.

"If she really cares for you as much as I know she does, she will understand," Splinter reassured him.

Leo wanted to believe Splinter's words, but there was a part of him that wasn't so sure she would. Still, he said nothing and bowed to his sensei, thanking him for helping him before leaving. There was nothing else he could do now but visit her and see how things turned out.

"Leo, are you okay?" Raph asked as Leo exited the dojo.

"I'm fine, Raph," Leo reassured him.

"We're still gonna watch wrestling tonight, right?"

"Sorry, Raph, but I'm going to visit Maddie tonight."

"It's about time," teased Raph. "You guys haven't seen each other for a long time. Looks like you two will have to get back to basics."

"Something like that," said Leo cryptically. He didn't want to tell his brothers or Miwa about his plans to end his relationship with Madison because he knew they would protest and say that he belonged with her. But Leo knew better than that. He didn't belong with anybody. He decided to go to his room and meditate for a bit before seeing Madison. Maybe everything would work out if he just cleared his head.

Sadly, it didn't work, and Leo was even more confused than ever. There was nothing else to do except go to Madison's and tell her everything. Whatever came after that would be dealt with in a mature way. He said goodbye to his family, and they wished him a good time. He felt bad that he wasn't being honest with his siblings, but he knew they wouldn't be happy with what he was going to do.

Madison was waiting for him at the window and smiled as she let him in. "It's so good to see you, Leo," she said as she led him to the couch. He returned the smile though it wasn't filed with his usual warmth.

"You look good, Leo," she commented.

"So do you," he answered.

Her eyes traveled to his face, and her look changed from one of joy to one of concern. "Is everything okay, Leo?" she asked. "You look like you have something on your mind."

Leo knew this was the moment of truth, but he couldn't help but feel some trepidation in his stomach. "Yes, there is something on my mind. We met this girl named Lynn Obiero and thought that maybe she was April's sister in disguise. We started getting messages from A again, and we figured Lynn had to be Robyn. One night, we met her on top of a water tower. She started acting strangely. She acted like she was going to hurt us, and I scared for myself and my brothers. We struggled, and then she dangled me over the water tower. I managed to get up, but then she charged me again. I kicked her, and she fell off of the tower. She died instantly, and on the news, they said that Lynn Obiero was her real name."

"So that means she wasn't Robyn," Madison said softly.

Leo nodded. "She was an innocent girl, and I killed her. I know you must think I'm a monster for doing that, and I came here to tell you that maybe it would be best if we didn't see each other anymore. You deserve to be with someone who isn't a cold-blooded killer." He hung his head and waited to hear what she would say.

"Leo, look at me," she commanded. He did so, and then Madison slapped him across the face just like Captain Ryan did to his commander.

"Ow!" he yelled. "What was that for?"

"Hamato Leonardo, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!" Madison scolded. "How could you think that I wouldn't want to be with you? You were just acting on instinct, and you didn't know she wasn't Robyn in the first place. If I had been in your shoes, I would have done the same thing. Self-defense is not murder, Leo. And even if Lynn wasn't Robyn or working for Robyn, she wasn't an innocent person if she was trying to hurt you. As far as I'm concerned, she got what she deserved."

Although Leo was grateful to Madison for not pushing him away, he still felt guilty for what he did. "You do have a point, Maddie, but it's hard for me to come to terms with what I did," he said.

"Are you going to leave me?" she asked him.

"Not if you don't want me to," he responded.

"I don't want you to," she replied. "Look, I know you're going through a lot right now, Leo, but give me the chance to help you." She brightened. "I know what could cheer you up. How about if we have a slumber party tomorrow night?"

"A slumber party?" Leo repeated.

"Yeah, a way to try and forget about all of this craziness," she said. "We could invite Irma and Lucindra and maybe bring Angel over for Mikey so he doesn't feel left out."

"I don't think Angel would consent to come," Leo pointed out.

"Oh, I'll persuade her," Madison reassured him. "Come on. It'll be fun."

Leo sighed. "I know you mean well, Maddie, but I don't think it's a good time for a party."

Madison wasn't defeated. "It's the perfect time for a party," she insisted. "You guys can't mope around forever. It's time for you to move on."

Leo wasn't sure he could move on from this. Images of Lynn falling to her death haunted his dreams and even his waking hours. He couldn't escape what had happened no matter how hard he tried to. What made Maddie think having a party would change any of it? But Madison was stubborn and would cling to this notion until he gave in no matter what, so he had no choice.

"I'll talk to the others and get back to you," he finally answered.

She squealed ad threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Leo!" she said happily. "You're the best!"

Leo didn't answer because he didn't feel like the best. He still felt horrible for what he'd done despite Madison's reassurances. He knew he would never truly be over it, and the nightmares would continue. It would be branded on him like the scarlet A was branded on Hester Prynne's dress, though his would be branded in his heart and it would say, "Murderer" instead of being a scarlet A.

"So do you want to watch a marathon of Space Heroes?" Madison asked, snapping Leo out of his thoughts as she pointed to the DVD she had.

"Not tonight," he replied. "I told Splinter I wouldn't be out too long." The truth was he didn't feel like watching Space Heroes. Captain Ryan would never have done what he'd done. Not in a million years.

"Well, okay," said Madison. "You'll come back though, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll come back," he told her.

That cheered her up. "I'm glad," she said. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay."

"If you need to talk, you know you can call me any time."

"I will," he promised.

She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips. He let her and tried to enjoy it even though he wanted to pull away and leave. She sensed his reluctance and pulled away, giving him a look of concern. He braced himself for her telltale question of, "Are you okay?" but it didn't come. She kissed his cheek and said, "Be safe, Leo. I love you."

"I love you, too," he said back. Although he was glad Madison still wanted to be with him after what he did, part of him just wished she would end things with him. His eyes fell to the couch where a piece of fabric was laying on one of the arms of the couch. He pointed to it. "What's that?"

Madison followed his gaze. "Oh, that's the scarf I'm knitting," she replied.

"You knit?" he asked her. He always thought that knitting was something elderly people did in their spare time.

She nodded. "My grandma taught me. It's a great stress reliever for me. It could help you, too."

Leo wrinkled his beak. "I don't know about that, Maddie." He could just imagine what his brothers would say if they caught him knitting something.

"Well, I'm sure you'd be good at it," she urged him. "I could teach you now if you want."

Leo shook his head. "Now's not a good time," he replied. "But I'll come over again and you can show me then." Despite the way he felt about knitting, maybe it could help him get over everything.

She smiled. "Yeah, that would be great. Just let me know when you can come and we can start. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay," he answered. "Take care. I love you."

"I love you, too, Leo," she said back.

Leo smiled at her one last time before exiting her apartment and heading home. He felt nothing but joy as he thought of what Madison said to him. She still loved him after all he'd done, and she didn't think he was a cold-blooded killer. But at the same time, he still felt bad for Lynn and her family. Lynn probably didn't want to hurt them at all and was just messing with them. Leo wondered if Robyn had done something to Lynn to make her comply to what she wanted to do. That would definitely be something Robyn would do.

Leo's thoughts were interrupted by a pair of voices yelling in one of the alleyways. Curious as to what was going on, Leo followed the voices until he came to the spot where they were coming from.

"Will you just leave me alone, Casey?" begged a girl who looked to be at least Leo's age or a bit younger.

"No, because your grandma told me you've been sneakin' out again, Angel," the guy called Casey replied.

Leo recognized this guy as the one his brothers had talked about. He wasn't sure what Casey's relationship to this girl was, but he reminded Leo of himself and how he always strived to protect his brothers. Then his eyes spotted a group of Foot Ninjas sneaking down behind Casey and Angel. The Ninjas didn't notice Leo, and that was a good thing. Silently, Leo leapt down and grabbed one of the Ninjas who was sneaking up on Angel. The girl whipped around in surprise as the Ninja fell to the ground. Casey caught wind of what was going on and joined in the fight.

"Well, this is great," he grumbled. "Just what I need right now. Thanks a lot, Angel."

"I had nothing to do with this!" she snapped back. "I don't even know who these guys are."

The fight didn't last long and Casey and Leo defeated the Foot Ninjas. Leo scanned the area for more, but there weren't any.

Casey stuck the weapons he'd sued on the Foot Ninjas in his gear bag. "Nice moves," he commented. "I can't believe there's more of you."

"Only four," Leo told him.

"So you guys fight crime or somethin'?" Casey asked.

"Sort of," Leo replied. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that," he responded. "It all started after this friend of mine was killed. I wanted to find out who did it and bring them to justice. I never got the chance to do that, but I've always been focused on helpin' others in need and stoppin' crime."

"Well, you might still be able to stop April's killer," Leo said. "We think Robyn's still out there and we're trying to catch her."

"Yeah, your brothers told me about the sister who killed her."

"We were shocked when we found out," Leo told him. "I think you'd be good at helping to catch her, but you need to be careful. You also need to keep that temper of yours in check." At the look of surprise on Casey's face, Leo laughed. "You really did a number on my brother, Raph."

"He told you about that?"

"No, I guessed by his injuries and the way he talked about you. Mikey and Donnie told me about their encounters with you, but all they said was that they met you and that you knew April. Usually, they're pretty open with anything, but they didn't know much about you. Raph was pretty mad though, and if there's one thing I know about Raph, he can stay mad for a long time."

"Yeah, I can see that," Casey admitted.

Leo turned to Angel. "Now, I know you don't want Casey tracking you down, but he's only looking out for you. You should be grateful that Casey cares about you instead of acting like a spoiled brat."

"Stop lecturing me, you freak!" she spat. "And don't you dare say anything against me! You don't know anything!"

"I know that you're rebelling just because you're mad," Leo told her. "You need to accept what's happened and let it go."

Angel gave him the middle finger and said some things that would have gotten her a detention in school. Then she turned and stormed away.

"Angel, get back here!" Casey called, but Angel ignored him. Then he turned to Leo. "Thanks for helpin' me out with those weird guys."

"No problem," Leo said.

"I better go after her and make sure she doesn't get hurt," Casey said. "See you around." He waved at Leo and then turned around and ran in the direction Angel had taken off in.

Leo heard his T-Phone chime and thought it would be another text from A, but it was from Raph.

**Leo, get home now It's an emergency.—Raph. **

Leo's heart started hammering. Had something happened to Master Splinter? Had something happened to one of his brothers? He texted Raph that he was on his way and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. There was a feeling of dread in his stomach, and he didn't like it one bit.

When he came into the Lair, he found his brothers, Miwa, and Splinter gathered in front of the television. Raph noticed him and motioned for him to join them.

"There's been a new development in the murder case of Lynn Obiero," Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe reported. "An anonymous person just delivered a photograph to the police station that shows who may have murdered Miss Obiero." A picture was shown on the screen, and the Turtles gasped. This was taken the night they'd met Lynn to get answers. It showed Lynn falling and showed a clear shot of all of the Turtles gathered around her and Leo pushing her off. "Police are on the lookout for these people in turtle costumes and feel they may have been responsible for Oyuki Mamishma's death as well."

"That is so not true!" Mikey yelled.

Before anyone could respond, their phones chimed. Leo pulled his out and saw that he had a new text message. Upon opening it, he saw the photo that was on the news and below it was a text.

**Your secret's out, freaks. There's nowhere to hide now.—A. **

A/N: And so ends another chapter. Yep, now the Turtles are going to have to deal with this now. So how did A get the photo? How will the Turtles get over all of this now that they've been exposed? Stay tuned to find out. In the meantime feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Pictures Don't Lie

A/N: I know it's been a very long time since I updated this, and I apologize for that. But now I think it's time I tried to update this more frequently as best as I can because I hate making you guys wait. Other stories and life in general have prevented me from doing it, but I'm not going to skimp out on it if I can help it. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.

Raph's mouth hung open as he stared at the TV, hardly daring to believe that this was happening. He thought that their secret was safe, but now it was exposed. The night Lynn had died had haunted all of them, and they would never forget it. Now the whole world knew about it.

"This can't be real," Leo gasped. His blue eyes were so wide Raph thought they would pop out of his sockets.

"It IS real, Leo," Raph said. "Someone was watchn' us, and I'd bet my sais it was Robyn. No one else knows about us."

"Casey Jones does," Don piped up.

"Is that the guy in the hockey mask you guys were talking about?" Leo asked them.

"Yeah, that's him," Raph replied. "He's nuts enough to do somethin' like this."

"I don't think it's him," Leo said. "I do think it could be Robyn though. She could be watching us and saw what happened. Now she's telling the whole world about it because she knows that's the way to draw us out."

Raph pounded his fist into his other palm. He was getting tired of Robyn's games. "We have to do something about this," he declared.

"There's nothing we can do, Raph," Leo replied. "We can't go public for obvious reasons. We just have to see how this plays out. So far, there's only a picture of Lynn falling. With any luck, people won't think it's us."

"They will if they zoom in and find us there," Don pointed out. "Then the jig is up."

Raph growled in frustration. "This sucks."

"I'm sorry, Raph, but I can't think of anything else to do," Leo said sadly. His whole countenance was dejected as though he was giving up, and that wasn't something Leo did. He was always the one with the answers no matter what the problem was, but this time, there was no answer.

Don's eyes lit up. "But there IS something we can do," he said.

"What do you mean, Donnie?" Mikey asked him.

"Well, now that we've essentially been exposed to the public and are suspects in a murder investigation, we have time," Don began. "They aren't going to link the murder to us right away. They'll be looking for other people who may dress up in turtle costumes or maybe the local gangs, thinking that this is something they would do."

"So what's your point?" asked Raph.

"While they're investigating who did this, we can try and find Robyn," Don replied. "Or we can make a plea and tell people that we're not murderers and that we're out there protecting the city. We can get others to vouch for us."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Donnie," Leo said. "Humans won't believe us if we plead to them. I think we can start looking for Robyn to make her confess to what she did."

"But we can't find her, Leo," Raph protested. "She won't come out!"

"Yeah, isn't that Ali's job anyway?" Mikey reminded them.

As if on cue, Leo's T-Phone rang. He put it on speaker so the others could hear it, too. "Hello?" he said.

"Leo, it's Ali," Ali said. "Did you watch the news?"

"Yeah, we saw it," he answered. "Looks like Robyn's got us where she wants us."

"It's definitely bad," Ali agreed. "My advice is for you boys to stay where you are. No more patrolling or anything else. Jack and I are coming down a little bit later to talk to you guys about all of this. He's been busy with another case, too, so that's why he hasn't been down to see you with me. We want to go over everything and make sure we have all of our ducks lined in a row so we can solve this."

"Okay, when do you want to come over," Leo asked her.

"We get off around five," answered Ali. "How about then?"

"Sounds good," said Leo. "We'll be waiting for you."

"Great. See you then, Leo."

"See you then," Leo echoed. Then he hung up the phone.

"So, let me get this straight," Raph said. "We're supposed to stay cooped up down here all day?"

"That's what she wants," said Leo.

Raph shook his head. "No way. There's no way I'm gonna be able to do that. It's bad enough when Splinter grounded us for that Stockman incident. I can't just stay cooped up down here. I'll go mad."

"We have to listen to orders, Raph," said Leo. "Ali knows what she's doing, and if we go out there, we'll be risking more exposure and possibly arrest. The police are more than likely on the lookout for us, so we can't hide any longer. Sure, Ali could cover for us, but that could get her in trouble if the truth was made public. We just can't do that to her. We owe her more than that."

"Besides, she just said we can't go topside," Mikey pointed out. "We could always go in the sewers to hang out."

"But what if the police comb the sewers for us next?" Don chimed in.

"If that happens, then we don't go out there," Leo answered. "But I agree with Raph that staying cooped up won't help him." He turned to his red-clad brother. "You can go out to the sewers but that's it. No going topside no matter how tempted you are. Maybe you could have Lucindra meet you down there and you can hang out. But this is the only solution we have right now."

Raph nodded. He didn't like it, but Leo had a point. They were exposed in more ways than one, and he couldn't risk leading the police to his family. "Okay, I'll do that then," he said. "But first, I gotta take out my anger on something else."

"Just don't ruin the weapons!" Leo called to him as he watched Raph march away.

Raph headed to the dojo and took his frustrations out on the punching bag. He imagined it was Robyn and he was unleashing all his frustration out on her. Everything was changing now. Nothing was safe, and Robyn wasn't going to give up until they were either put in a science lab or dead. She had even taken away their patrolling time, and that hurt Raph more than anything. It took him back to the times when Splinter would forbid them from going to the surface when they were younger. Every year on their birthday they would beg to go up to the surface to see what it was like up there, and every year Splinter would say no and that it was too dangerous. When they turned fifteen, Splinter had finally relented, and upon going to the surface for the first time, a whole world was opened before them. Their lives changed forever with that trip because it was when they'd met April and had become friends with her.

Now Raph had to wonder if what they did was the right thing. If they hadn't met April, none of this stuff would have happened. She would have just been another news story and not anyone linked to them. The texts wouldn't have happened, and Robyn wouldn't be out there. But the reality was that it had happened, and though Raph hated it, he hated himself more for wishing they hadn't met April. She had been so good to them and a great friend despite her keeping the secret about her deranged twin. She brought them groceries when they were running out, she stayed with them to watch movies together, she helped Donnie with his inventions and experiments, and she spent time with all of them in different ways. Having her as a friend had been a valuable thing no matter what had happened after that. They had all been devastated by her death and still were. And they owed it to her to get Robyn put in jail for what she'd done to her sister. They couldn't fail April no matter what. She deserved better than that.

After he was finished with his workout, he took a shower and then asked Lucindra if she wanted to come down to see him. She answered that she would meet him in the sewers near the Lair, and Raph said that would be fine.

"You going to meet Lucindra?" Mikey asked him.

"Yep," Raph answered, a big smile on his face.

"Good for you, bro," Mikey said.

Raph left the Lair and got to the meeting spot in record time. Not long after, Lucindra came into sight, a big smile on her face as she saw Raph. She ran to him and gave him a big hug.

"Man, I didn't think you missed me that much," he joked.

"I missed you a lot," she replied. "I saw the news. It's so horrible what people are saying about you guys."

"What are they saying?" Raph asked her.

"That you dress up in turtle costumes and look for innocent women to kill," she told him. "I think it's so horrible how you're being portrayed. I wish I could say something to someone and let them know you guys ain't bad at all."

Raph sighed. "I know, but you can't," he said. "That's just the way it is, I guess."

"I know. I wish this was all over with."

"You and me both," Raph agreed. "Ali and Jack are gonna come by and talk to us about all of this. We can see where we stand on it and what they can do for us."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lucindra asked skeptically.

"Ali's cool, Cindra. She was part of the missing scientists case once before and was on April's case, too. She and Jack are good friends together, and we can trust them."

"I guess, but you better hope they don't sell you out."

"They won't," Raph reassured her.

"But what if they're just ploys set up by Robyn?" Lucindra pointed out. "She could have them in her back pocket knowing that you're gullible enough to trust them. Then, when she tells them to, they could sell you out and get you in trouble."

"I doubt Robyn would set them up like that," Raph said. "If she wanted to, she could just lead the police straight to us and have us arrested right away. She wouldn't waste time doing something like this, especially if she wants us dead."

"I just hope you're right, Raph. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Raph put his arms around her. "I know, and I won't. I'm gonna be careful, okay?" He leaned down and kissed her softly. When they pulled apart, she grinned at him.

"I guess I should trust you more," she said. "I just worry about you."

"I worry about you, too," he agreed. "But we need to trust each other, okay?"

"You got it," she said.

"You wanna come to the Lair and hang out?" he asked her.

"I can't," she said. "I gotta go to work soon. But it was nice seeing you again."

"Yeah, same here," he answered. "I'll see you around I hope."

She smiled. "Yeah, you will. Sorry it had to be so short though."

"No worries. When this is all over, we'll have a huge party to make up for it."

Lucindra laughed. "I bet you will, and I'll be counting on an invite. See you later, Big Guy." She kissed him on the lips again, and he melted into her, happy that at least this was the same. She broke apart from him too soon, waved, and left the way she had come.

Raph sighed as he watched her go, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. This was how things were going to be until Robyn was eliminated for good. He just wished he could spend a quiet night at her apartment as they watched wrestling or bad reality TV and commented on it followed by a session of some serious lovemaking. But sadly, that couldn't happen, and it made Raph even angrier about the situation. He figured Robyn was relishing this and would probably be laughing at him if she could see him now. Gritting his teeth, Raph left the sewers and set out for home, hoping that this would be resolved soon.

22222

Ali and Jack came over just when they said they would. Raph had to give props to Ali for always being on time and coming at the allotted time. Most people didn't do that or didn't bother to even care about people being impatient or waiting too long, but not Ali. She was always precise and punctual, much like Leo often was.

"Boys, this is Jack Kurtzman, my partner," she said.

Leo bowed even though he could have just shook Jack's hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kurtzman," he said graciously. Raph remembered when he'd done the same thing to April and how April had been a bit weirded out by Leo's greeting. Jack took it all in stride and bowed back to Leo.

"The pleasure's all mine," he said. "I'm honored to meet the famous Ninja Turtles at last."

"Wait, you know about us?" Donnie asked.

Jack nodded. "Yes, I do. As Ali might have mentioned, I was assigned to the missing scientists case three years ago and was keeping an eye on April O'Neil because I knew the Kraang were after her. I've been researching the Kraang for years, wanting to know why they chose Earth specifically for their plans. They've been around for a long time and were the ones responsible for creating the mutagen that changed the four of you as you probably know."

"Okay, we get that, but why have you been spying on us?" Raph demanded. He wasn't happy to know that someone had been prying into their lives just like Robyn was doing, though her methods were more malicious while Jack's were more about curiosity than anything else.

"Because I wanted to see why April was so transfixed with you and I had heard stories about you saving the city," Jack answered. "After April went missing, Ali and I were assigned to her case, and I knew we had to talk to you, but her father wouldn't let us and gave us that story about her visiting the noodle shop when in reality she was visiting the four of you first before she vanished."

"Then why didn't you have Kirby arrested for false reporting?" asked Donnie.

"Because we knew he was lying to protect you four," replied Jack. "I can understand that, and so Ali and I went with it. But as you know, Ali has now questioned you and has brought me up to date on what's going on. We know Robyn killed April and that she's hunting the four of you to try and finish you off since her last plan backfired. We know that you've now been exposed to the public through a photograph and that you can't go anywhere because the police are searching for you because of Lynn Obiero's death."

"Which was in self-defense," Raph chimed in.

"Yes, but it doesn't look that way, and that's the problem," said Jack.

"So what can we do?" asked Leo.

"Right now, the best thing you can do is lie low," answered Ali. "Maybe you can go to the farmhouse for a bit and relax until this blows over. Meanwhile, Jack and I will do all we can to dispel the rumors of the photo and see if we can't find our own leads as to where Robyn is. If we can flush her out, then maybe we can end this."

"We could help you with that," Don suggested.

"I appreciate that, Donnie, but now's not the time for that," Ali said. "You need to lie low. If you want to work on things alone and forward them to us, that's fine. But for now, we'll handle this the best way we can. We just don't want you guys to get hit in the crossfire of this."

"We'll be careful," Leo promised her just as he often promised Splinter before they went out on patrol.

Kiss ass, Raph thought. Leave it to Leo to suck up even to a detective.

"Well, then that's it," said Ali. "We'll keep in touch, and if you get any other texts, forward them to me right away."

The Turtles promised and after shaking Jack's hand they watched the two detectives leave the Lair.

"I just hope Jack doesn't sell us out," Raph grumbled.

"He won't do that, Raph," Leo reassured him. "He's with Ali, and we all know we can trust her."

"Yeah, I know we can trust Ali, but we don't know Jack. For all we know, he could be masquerading as a detective to get on our side and then sell us out to the first highest bidder."

"Wow, who knew Raphie knew such a big word?" Mikey teased.

"Jack seemed just curious about us, but he doesn't strike me as the type to sell us out," mused Donnie. "He wants to help us, and I say we let him help us. Ali and Jack are all we have right now."

"Whatever you say, guys," Raph said. "I don't like it, but I'll follow your lead like I always do." He left his brothers and went to his room. He patted Spike on the head and gave him a leaf to chew. Just as he was ready to relax on his bed, he heard a chime from his phone, indicating he had a text. He opened the phone and saw another picture that was even more of a close up than the other one. It showed Lynn falling and Leo clearly pushing her with only his image present. Raph gasped and saw the accompanying text.

**Trust is always an important thing among family. But the thing is that I don't have to be discreet about anything. Stop meddling, or your brother will go down. –A. **

A/N: And another chapter ends. I had an awesome time working on it, and I'm happy to be getting back to this story as I should be. I have quite a few chapters outlined, so I won't take as long as I have in the past to get chapters up. I am working on other stories though, but I'll do my best not to leave you guys hanging. Yeah, I know, I've said it before, but I mean it this time. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Jig Is Up

A/N: So here's the next chapter as I promised you. I'm having a lot of fun plotting this story out, and it's coming easier to me than it has in the past. I want to thank all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me and fuel me to keep writing this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more than that.

Raph ran out to his brothers to show them the text he'd gotten from A. Leo gasped as he took in his own image shoving Lynn off the water tower. If that wasn't proof enough to land him in jail, nothing was.

"Okay, that settles it," Leo declared. "I have to turn myself in."

"No way!" Raph protested. "There's no way you're goin' down for this!"

"Raph, here's the proof," Leo said. "If I turn myself in, at least I'm doing the right thing by confessing to the crime. If we wait, the police could come down here and search the sewers for me."

"Dude, you can't turn yourself in," Mikey begged. "Jail is, like, the worst. Have you even seen Beyond Scared Straight? I don't wanna see you with those criminals threatening to do stuff to you. You could be killed in there, bro!"

"It's a small price to pay to keep Robyn off of our backs," Leo said.

"But if you turn yourself in, we all have to because we were there, too," Don pointed out.

"No, you don't. You were trying to stop me, and I was the one who killed Lynn. None of you have to go down for me."

Raph growled. "Why the hell do you always have to play the hero, Leo?" he snapped.

"I'm not playing the hero!" retorted Leo. "I'm doing the right thing."

"Yes, you are!" snarled Raph. "You're tryin' to sacrifice yourself to protect us! It's just like that night with the damn Technodrome! You had to try and blow yourself up so we'd be safe! Well, I'm sick of it, Leo! You're not fucking Captain Ryan, bro! Don't do this to yourself! You're not carryin' this burden alone! We were all there, and so if you go down, we're goin' down, too!"

"I won't let you do this, Raph," Leo said firmly.

Raph growled in frustration and was ready to unleash a retort, but a voice stopped him.

"No one is turning themselves in," Splinter said firmly.

"Sensei, what are you talking about?" Leo asked him.

"You are not going to turn yourself in, Leonardo," Splinter answered.

"But, Sensei, you've always told me that honesty is important," Leo protested. "You want me to live a lie?"

"No, but you are not going to do this just because you feel you need to," Splinter replied. "Yes, you killed her, but it was in self-defense and not because you had any malicious intentions. Raphael, forward the message to Alison immediately. She will get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, no one is to go topside or outside the sewers, and no one is to turn themselves into the police." He shot a very stern glare at Leo as he said this. "We will let Alison and Jack handle this. They are the only lifelines we have." He turned and headed back to his room.

Leo sighed and went to his own room, and Raph and Mikey sat down to watch some TV. Donnie looked after his older brother, fear consuming him. He had to get to the bottom of this before Leo did something stupid, and Ivy was his only key to this. He ran to his room and turned on his computer. He logged into MyFace and messaged Ivy, saying that he had to contact her and that it was urgent. Then he waited, but she didn't come on. That was weird. Ivy usually responded right back to him whenever he messaged her. Then he realized that maybe she was busy or doing something else and would get back to him. While he waited, he checked his e-mail and got rid of the ones he didn't need and studied his notes on some new inventions. He waited for that telltale chime to indicate Ivy was online, but nothing came, and that unnerved him.

Deciding to leave his computer on in case Ivy came back with something, he sat on his bed and thought about all that had happened to him. His life had never been this messed up. Sure, they were ninjas and only dealt death when necessary, but even that had been hard for him to swallow. But this time, they had killed an innocent girl. She played with them, that was true, but she never had any intention of hurting them. It had all been a ruse, and they had been stupid enough to fall for it. And now, because of them, an innocent girl was dead. Lynn would never achieve whatever dreams she had had in her life. She would never call her parents again to tell them she loved them or get married. She'd never have kids or any sort of normal life. She was gone, and it was their fault.

Still, Leo couldn't turn himself in. Don called up a different screen and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Leo was in the dojo. Unbeknownst to his brother, Don had put a tracking device under his shell so that he could track Leo's whereabouts in case he decided to do something stupid like turn himself in. As much as he could see why Leo would want that, it would be too risky. They couldn't risk any of this happening to them now. He just hoped Ali and Jack would know what to do.

A beeping startled him, and his heart leapt as he saw that he had a new instant message. He closed out his screen and put up his other screen. His heart sank when he saw it was Irma and not Ivy.

**Irma: Hey, Donnie, you there?**

**Donnie T: Yeah, I'm here, Irma. What's up?**

**Irma: Just wanted to see how you were doing, that's all. **

Donnie hesitated. As much as he wanted to tell Irma the truth, he didn't want to worry her about any of this. It just wasn't right for her considering all she had to deal with at school.

**Donnie T: I'm fine. **

**Irma: Have you heard from Ivy?**

**Donnie T: Not yet. I'm waiting to hear from her, but she hasn't responded. She never takes this long to answer me. **

**Irma: Maybe she's busy. **

**Donnie T: Maybe, but something's telling me that's not the case. I just have this feeling that something's wrong. **

**Irma: You worry too much, Donnie. I'm sure she's fine. **

**Donnie T: If you say so. **

**Irma: Well, I can't chat long. I have a paper to do. I was just checking up on you. **

**Donnie T: I'm as fine as can be expected. Go work on your paper. **

**Irma: Okay, but let me know if you need to talk. **

**Donnie T: I will. Talk to you later, Irma. **

**Irma: Talk to you later, Donnie. **

After Donnie signed out, he sighed. Then he concentrated on working on some inventions and fixing some things that he'd put off. At least doing that would keep his mind off Ivy until she answered him back.

Ivy never answered him, and that left Don feeling worried. He kept his computer on all night, but no trill came from it, and that made Don feel horrible as though something had happened.

22222

The next morning, Don was awakened by his door banging open, startling him from his sleep.

"Dude, you gotta wake up!" Mikey cried. "Something happened!"

Donnie tore out of bed and into the living area where the rest of his family was seated. The TV was on and tuned to the news as it always was.

"We have breaking news," Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe said. "A young woman named Ivy Jones was reported missing early this morning. She was at home on a visit and was last seen in her room. Sources are not sure if it was a break-in or if she ran away. Police are doing all they can to investigate this."

The shot turned to Ivy's parents who looked distraught. Her mother had tears running down her face as she faced the cameras.

"We don't know what happened," she said tearfully. "We were having fun last night playing board games and watching TV. Ivy seemed so happy and relaxed. Ivy, honey, if you've run away, please come home. We love you and want you here with us. If someone has taken her, hear my plea. Bring our daughter home. Whatever you want, we'll give it to you. Just please bring our baby home."

Carlos said more words, but they weren't registering to Don. All he could think about was that Ivy was missing. She had been taken from her room at night, and he knew who had done it. Robyn had taken her because she found out about their chat conversations. This was all his fault.

"Donnie, are you okay?" Leo asked, but his voice sounded far away as though it was coming from a tunnel.

"Donatello, sit here," Splinter urged. He guided his son to the couch. "Put your head between your legs."

Don did as Splinter asked, and the dizziness vanished. He sat up and looked at his brothers and father.

"Wait, was Ivy the chick you were talkin' to online?" Raph asked him.

"Raph!" Leo chastised, giving his brother a stern look. Sometimes Raph had no tact.

"Yes, and now she's gone," Don answered. "This is all my fault. I never should have talked to her. Now she's gone and probably going to die because of me!"

Splinter put a paw on his son's shoulder. "It is not your fault, Donatello," he reassured him. "What you did was a good thing, and you do have more information about Robyn than you had before. Do not blame yourself, my son."

"Yeah, this could have happened anyway even if you hadn't talked to her," Mikey piped up. "Or she would have gotten Ivy to do something else before getting rid of her."

Don was about to say more when his phone chimed that he had a text. He opened it, and his heart dropped when he saw who it was. This confirmed his worst fears.

**Don't you hate it when things go missing? Looks like your bestie got misplaced. Now you better stop digging around, or she'll go missing for good. –A.**

A/N: And another chapter is finally done! I'm so glad to be finishing this story up and getting closer to the end of it. So now Ivy's missing. What will Robyn have in store for the Turtles next? You'll have to read on and find out. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Needle in a Haystack

A/N: So here's the next chapter as promised. Now we'll see what Mikey's been up to and what he's going to deal with. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this wild ride. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.

Mikey watched as Don nearly fainted after hearing that Ivy was missing. He knew his brother had been talking to her online, but he never thought this would happen. Still, he wanted to tell his brother that he had been right about it not being safe to talk to Ivy. But after looking at his brother's stricken face, Mikey didn't have the heart to do it.

Don immediately forwarded the message to Ali. Not long after, his phone rang, and he put it on speaker so the others could hear.

"Donnie, it's Ali," the voice on the other end said. "Jack and I are coming over to discuss this with you."

"Good," Donnie said and hung up.

It didn't take too long for Ali and Jack to come down to the sewers. They were pretty fast, and Mikey had to wonder if any of their colleagues were getting suspicious about all of these calls they were taking.

"Did you hear about Ivy?" Donnie asked.

Ali nodded. "Yes, and we're pretty sure Robyn took her since they were both at Crestwood together."

"What have you gathered so far?" Leo asked her.

"All we know is that Ivy was in her room before she was kidnapped. The parents didn't hear any sounds of forced entry. That's why they think she ran away, but I don't believe it."

"They could have been drugged," Raph suggested.

"Yeah, but do you think Ivy drugged them?" Don countered.

Raph shrugged. "Who knows? She is a mental patient. Maybe Robyn coerced her to drug her parents so they wouldn't hear her leavin'."

"Or maybe Robyn drugged them herself," Leo said.

"But wouldn't they have seen her?" Mikey queried.

"Not if she snuck in and did it," Leo replied.

"That sounds like a good theory, Leo," Ali praised him. "Robyn and Ivy did know each other, so it could be that maybe Ivy invited Robyn to her house when they were out of the hospital. If that's the case, then Robyn probably knew a lot about the house and Ivy's parents. Her parents did say that after Ivy went to bed, they opened a bottle of wine."

"So Robyn could have drugged the bottle of wine," Leo said.

Ali nodded. "Yes, that's what we're thinking too. Jack and I are going over there to get the wine glasses to analyze them and the bottle itself. We were on our way there when Donnie forwarded that text, so that's why we came here as soon as we could."

"Sounds to me like this Robyn is a sneaky person," Jack said. "From what you four have described, it seems like she's been watching your every move.'

"That's definitely how it feels," said Mikey.

"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this," Ali reassured him. "For now, you boys need to lie low and let us handle this."

The two detectives said goodbye and promised to stay in touch. Mikey was happy they were on the case, but he was afraid that something else would happen to them before the mystery was solved.

Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, Mikey grabbed his skateboard and decided to go for a run in the sewers.

"Where are you going, Mikey?" Leo asked him.

"I'm gonna go board in the sewers," Mikey answered.

"Okay. Just be careful."

Mikey rolled his eyes. Leo was always so overprotective and while it was a good thing at times, it was also grating at others. Mikey hated being treated like a little kid all of the time. He was just as capable as any of his brothers of taking care of himself.

He traveled thorough the sewers, happy to be away from the Lair and all of the stress. He was so sick of everything that was happening so far. Why couldn't Robyn just leave them alone? Why did she insist on torturing them so much? At least he had some refuge in the sewers here. Maybe doing some tricks would help to calm him down.

He found a spot filled with his homemade ramps. He'd found the spot a couple of years ago after April disappeared and had fashioned his own skate park out of it. He had felt impressed by his work and had shown his brothers his masterpiece thinking that they would be impressed. While Leo was the one who praised him for his talent, Raph just shrugged and said it was nothing to be thrilled about and Donnie hadn't really spoken to him at all. That had hurt more at the time than he cared to admit because he always took pride in having his brothers proud of him for something.

Shaking the thought from his head, he began navigating the obstacle course, doing flips and turns that would make any novice envious of him if they could see him. Just as he finished a particularly complicated trick that he'd made up himself, he heard some clapping coming nearby. Startled, he immediately stopped boarding and slunk into the shadows.

"Hey, you can come out," a voice said. "I won't bite."

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea," he said. "I'm not supposed to be seen." He could tell the voice was female.

She laughed. "Why? Are you a secret agent or something?"

"Not quite," Mikey answered. "How long have you been there?"

"For a while," she answered. "I saw you come down and wanted to watch you. You're very good. You could go pro if you really wanted to. I bet they'd get a kick out of the turtle costume."

Mikey knew he had to get out of there, but something was keeping him there, and he didn't know what it was. "It's not a costume," he said.

"Really? It looks like one and a good one."

"It's not. I'm a mutant." Then he mentally scolded himself for his slip up. How could he have exposed himself like that to a complete stranger? Most of the time, they remained hidden from the world and the people they rescued either thought they were people in costumes or that they were so high they were imagining things. Usually the Turtles stuck to those facades because it was easier than people knowing there really were mutants in the city.

The girl laughed. "Well, I guess I can't be surprised," she said.

"You're not repulsed by me?" Mikey asked her.

"Nope. I think you're pretty cool. What's your name anyway?"

"Michelangelo, but everyone calls me Mikey. Well, except my dad that is."

"Ah, so you were named after one of the Renaissance artists. That's neat."

"What's your name?" Mikey asked her.

"Kala," she said. "I don't know why my parents named me that or if the named me after something cool. I've never asked them about it."

"So what are you doing down here?"

"I like to come down here to get away from the drama of the city," she answered. "It's so peaceful down here."

"Do you live with your parents?" Mikey asked her.

"Yeah, but I want to be on my own. I'm eighteen and most people say I should be on my own now anyway."

"So why don't you leave?"

"Mainly because I don't have any education. I dropped out of high school when I was sixteen and never looked back."

"Why did you do that?" Mikey seemed shocked that she would quit school. He had always dreamed of going to school ever since April told him about it.

"Because school just isn't my thing," she replied. "I got bored so I left. My parents were furious with me because they felt I needed to set an example for my younger brothers."

"You have brothers?"

"Yeah, two. Their names are Dask and Zak. Yeah, I know, Dask is a weird name, and I don't know how he got that name, but he thinks it's awesome."

"Are they in school too?"

"Yeah, but they want to drop out like I did."

"Do you have a job?"

"I work at some music shop, but I hate it. The guy who runs it is such a jerk. I wish I could find something better."

Mikey pitied her, and at that moment, he really wanted to do something for her. "Hey, I think I could hook you up with a better job."

She laughed. "How could you do that?" she asked him. "I wasn't aware that mutant turtles could get jobs."

"We can't, but I know someone who would hire you if you applied. You know the noodle shop run by Mr. Murakami?"

"I've heard of it," she answered.

"Well, maybe I can ask him to hook you up. He's a great guy, and I think you'd like working for him. What's your phone number?"

Kala giggled. "Are you flirting with me?" she teased.

"No, I need it so that Murakami can contact you," he answered.

She gave him her cell number. Then she stepped into the light so he could see her. She was dressed in a skirt and a red shirt. Her hair was red and was sticking up in a very weird hairdo.

"How'd you get your hair like that?" he asked her.

"Lots of hair gel," she replied.

"Well, it looks good," he said.

"Thanks. So, how did you become a mutant?"

Mikey was about to reply when he heard footsteps coming toward them. He pulled Kala into the shadows and waited.

"Mikey, what's going on?" she asked.

"Shh!" he ordered her. He peered around and saw two police officers with their flashlights searching the sewers. Were they looking for Ivy or for the Turtles? Had A tipped them off? This definitely wasn't good. He watched as the officers spoke together before going off in another direction.

"What was that about?" Kala asked.

"I don't know, but you better get home before they question you," he answered. "You know there's a girl who's missing. They're probably searching for her down here, and if they see you, they could assume you're up to no good."

"Will I see you again?" she asked him.

"I don't know," he answered. "I'll call you about Murakami's and if you can work there. Just get out of here."

"See you around, Mikey," she said. She kissed his cheek and hurried off.

Mikey watched her until she was out of sight and then put his hand to his cheek. Her lips had felt nice and he had that same feeling he'd had when Oyuki had kissed him like that. Before he could ponder further about Kala, his phone chimed, indicating he had a text message. He opened it up and gasped when he saw what it said.

**Hey, Mikey, looks like the cops are onto you. You better hope they don't find your secret Lair.—A. **

A/N: And that's the end of yet another chapter. I had a lot of fun with this one and I hope you liked it, too. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon too. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: A Little Push

A/N: The next chapter is here! I should probably think of something interesting to say, but I've got nothing. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you like this story and where it's going. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more than that.

The farmhouse was such a nice place to be. Leo sighed as he took in the surrounding woods. He had come out here for some peace and quiet to reflect on everything that had happened thus far. When Mikey had come bursting into the Lair to inform them that the cops were searching the sewers, Leo had been shocked. What if they found the Lair? It really wasn't in a concealed spot, and their entrance was open and easy to access. You just climbed the steps and entered through the turnstiles. Leo had decided it was best that they relocated to the farmhouse until the police stopped searching. He called Ali to inform her of it, and she reassured him that she would let them know when the police stopped their search. When he asked what they were looking for, she said that they were searching for Ivy and thought she could be down there.

Well, that was a relief. At least they weren't looking for his family, but what if A tipped them off and they searched for the Lair? What if they found the Lair and started investigating who lived there? Then what? He hated thinking like this, but there was no other option. They were screwed either way unless Ali and Jack were able to get the police off their backs. And if they did that, they could be in danger too. It was a sucky situation all around.

Leo took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He really shouldn't be stressing about all of this. That was why they had come out here again. It was time to relax and to try and not think about the stress of all of this happening.

His phone ringing interrupted his thoughts and he fished it out of his belt and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Leo, it's me," said Madison's voice.

"Hey, Maddie. What's up?"

"Not much. I was just wondering if you wanted to come over tonight to hang out. We haven't seen each other for a little while."

A pang tore through Leo's heart at her words. "I'm sorry, Maddie, but I'm at the farmhouse right now," he answered. "I really wish I could come over."

"You mean the one April's dad owns?"

"Yeah, that one."

"Bummer. And here I was hoping we could spend time together. "

"I know, but we had to leave."

"Why?"

Leo cursed himself for his choice of words. "Because Mikey saw police officers in the sewers," he replied. "We had to get out of there."

Madison gasped. "Do you think they were looking for you?!"

"I don't know, but that's why we left. Ali and Jack are looking into it thought they've told us that the police are searching for Ivy. Still, we had to leave just in case they discovered our Lair."

"Yeah, that makes sense since it's pretty easy to find," Madison commented. "Well, I'm sorry that you aren't here, but I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks, Maddie. I miss you."

"I miss you, too," she said. "It's pretty lonely without you here."

"How's your family?"

"Good. My sister's excited about renovating her apartment."

"Is she going to live with you until it's done?"

"No, she'll be living with her boyfriend, thank God. I don't think I could bear it if she stayed with me."

"I thought you loved your sister," Leo said.

"I do, but sometimes she can be a pain in the ass. And if she stayed here then we couldn't get together."

"Ah, that's right. But I do think it would be funny to see the look on her face if I came into the apartment."

Madison gasped. "Leo, what about your stance on secrecy? Have you gone rogue?"

Leo laughed. "No, but it would still be funny to see the look on her face."

Madison laughed too. "Yeah, I guess it would. And to see the look on her face when I tell her you're my boyfriend. She'd probably have a heart attack."

"Well, anyway, I'm sorry I can't come over. I just hope all of this will be solved soon."

"Me, too, Leo. I hate what this is doing to you."

"Maddie, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. This whole ordeal has scarred you. The sooner it gets solved the sooner you can heal from all of this."

Leo sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, I heard a new Space Heroes show is coming out soon."

"I heard that, too. It looks pretty good, but I don't know if it's going to be a long running show or just a few episodes."

"I think they're doing it for one season to see how it goes. Either way, I can't wait."

"I know. Hopefully Luna Mercury will be in it, too. So, have you been working on your fan fiction?"

"I've tried, but nothing's really coming to me right now. Maybe I'll take some time today and work on something."

"Are you in the woods?"

"Yeah, I am. How did you know?"

"I can hear the birds and the water running. It must be so peaceful there."

"It is. I love coming here. I can just sit and try to get rid of all the stress that's surrounding me. I really wish you could be here, too. I think you'd like it."

"I know I would, especially if I was there with you."

Once again, a happy feeling spread throughout Leo's body. He was so lucky to have Madison in his life, and he didn't know what he would do without her. She was the one thing in his life that was good, and she had helped him through so much after April disappeared and the texts started coming through.

"Well, I better get off of here," she said. "Mom's coming over to spend time with me. It was nice talking to you, Leo. I love you."

"I love you, too, Maddie," he replied. "I'll talk to you soon." He blew her a kiss and she blew one back before hanging up.

Leo stayed there for a few more minutes, savoring the peacefulness of the woods. If only he could live like this every day! If only Robyn wasn't haunting them and ready to take them down! How simple their lives would be! But then again, their lives had never been simple since they went to the surface for the first time. They were ninjas, and ninjas never led simple lives no matter how much they wanted them.

His phone rang again, and this time it was Raph calling. "What's up, Raph?"

"Mikey says lunch is ready," his brother answered. "So it's time to come out of the woods and get some grub."

"Okay, I'll be there in a bit," Leo said and hung up. He sighed and got up off the rock, giving one last glance at the brook before heading away from it. Before he left, he spotted a robin in the tree near him. The bird looked at him and started chirping but then flew away. He thought he imagined it, but it seemed like the bird was giving him an ominous look as if warning him to be careful. But that wasn't possible. Robins didn't have looks like that. Shaking the thought off, Leo took a different way to the farmhouse. He approached a hill and climbed it, curious to see what lay beyond it. He stood at the top and looked down at the woods spread below him. It was a great view, and Leo smiled as he took it in. He would have to show his brothers this view sometime.

Just as he was ready to leave, he heard something behind him but just thought it was an animal scurrying through the grass. Then he felt two hands on his back shove him. He tried to regain his balance, but he rolled down the hill end over end until he reached the bottom. His right leg was under him and was hurting badly. He sat up and thought he saw someone looking down at him. Had that been Mikey? No, Mikey may have been a prankster, but he would have never done that. Besides, he was at home cooking lunch. He blinked and the figure was gone if they had been there at all. He tried to get up, but a pain in his right ankle caused him to sit back. He couldn't get up no matter how hard he tried, and he knew he'd have to let his brothers know where he was. He pulled out his phone and pushed the panic button used for emergencies. Hopefully his brothers would hear it and come to his rescue because he wasn't going anywhere for a while.

He was about to put his phone away when it chimed, indicating he had a text message. Maybe it was Raph, reassuring him that he would help his brother. But when he saw the sender's name was a bunch of jumbled letters and numbers, he knew exactly who it was. He opened up the text and read it.

**Hey, Leo, sometimes we all need a little push. You know all about that, don't you?—A.**

With a growl, Leo shoved his phone in his belt. He had had enough of these messages, and come hell or high water, A was going to be stopped if it was the last thing he did.

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. Sorry it's a little short, but I make them as short or as long as I can. Next chapter will deal with the aftermath of Leo's fall and what will happen next as a result. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Bomb

A/N: Booyakasha! Another chapter is up! Now we'll see the aftermath of what happened to Leo and what Raph's going to do about it. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words are the fuel that keeps me going and motivates me to finish this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more than that.

Raph was watching TV when his T-Phone went off with the panic signal. He looked at it and saw that Leo was signaling for help. He jumped off the couch, yelled for his siblings, and bolted out of the door as fast as his legs could carry him without waiting for the others. If Leo was in trouble, he was going to get there to help him. He tracked Leo's phone signal to the woods and made his way to where Leo was lying at the bottom of a hill.

"Leo, are you okay, bro?" Raph asked him.

"Well, since I sent a panic signal, it's obvious I'm not," Leo replied.

"Hang on, I'm comin' down!" Raph barreled down the hill at top speed until he reached his brother. He knelt down and checked for serious injuries.

"I think I twisted my ankle," Leo told him.

Raph checked and deduced that the ankle was indeed twisted but not broken. He helped Leo to his feet and was about to climb the hill when the others arrived.

"Raph, why did you bolt out like that?" Don scolded. "You should have waited for us!"

"I had to make sure Leo was okay," answered Raph. He helped Leo up the hill, and then Miwa grabbed Leo's hand and hauled him up the rest of the way. They headed back to the farmhouse and settled Leo on the couch.

"What happened, Leo?" Donnie asked as he checked over Leo's ankle and then wrapped it.

"I was just minding my own business when someone pushed me and I fell," replied Leo.

"Did you see who it was?" asked Mikey.

Leo shook his head. "No, they were dressed in black and when I blinked they were gone, so I'm not sure if I imagined it or not."

"Do you think it was Robyn?" asked Miwa.

"Who else would push me like that?" Leo countered. "I mean, Mikey might do it for a joke, but I don't think he'd want to hurt me like she does."

"So Robyn had to be there and pushed you," concluded Raph. "I say we go back to the woods and see if we can find any prints. If we can, then we can follow them and see if Robyn's there."

"Count me out," Donnie said. "I've got some repairs to do."

"I'm gonna stay and keep Leo company," Mikey said.

"I'll go with you," Miwa offered.

Raph's eyes lit up. "You will?"

She smiled. "Sure. Someone has to keep you in line and be a witness if we see Robyn."

"Guys, I don't know about this," Leo said. "It could be too dangerous. And what if she is out there and tries to hurt you?"

"Leo, we're both ninjas," Raph reassured him. "We can handle ourselves. The sooner we solve this the better off we'll all be."

Leo sighed. "Okay, but be careful, you two. And if you run into trouble, signal with your phones."

Raph saluted. "Got it, Chief."

Miwa rubbed her hands together. "Let's go hunting."

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The woods were filled with all sorts of noises as Raph and Miwa trekked through them, but they barely paid attention to them as they walked.

"So where should we start?" Miwa asked her brother.

"I say we start where Leo was pushed," Raph answered. 'There might be some prints there."

Miwa nodded and followed Raph to the spot where Leo had been pushed. They combed the ground until Miwa spotted some footprints leading away from the hill. She pointed them out to Raph, and his green eyes lit up in excitement.

"Now we're getting somewhere," he said. "Let's go."

They followed the footprints, taking care not to miss any of them as they traveled through the woods. The footprints led to an abandoned shed that sat alone in the woods. None of them had seen the shed before, and it filled Raph with excitement. Could this be where Robyn was hiding out as she spied on them?

"Let's check it out," Raph said and started toward the shed, but Miwa grabbed his arm.

"Wait! It could be a trap."

"So? This is our chance to find out if Robyn is here or not."

"And what if she isn't? Then we've pretty much hit a dead end. Let's call Donnie and Mikey and have them come out here, too."

"No way," Raph said. "We're gonna do this my way." He started toward the door, and with a sigh of frustration, Miwa followed him. They approached the building cautiously until they reached the door. Raph looked at Miwa, silently counted to three, and opened the door. It creaked on its hinges but nothing else happened. As they surveyed the shed, it didn't look very impressive. It was scattered with various tools that people used for various projects.

"Well, this was a bust," Miwa grumbled.

"Wait, what's that?" Raph asked. He pointed to a chair where something or someone was tied.

Miwa gasped. "Is that a person?"

"I don't know, but if it is, I'm getting them out of here," Raph said. He slowly approached the chair so as not to startle whoever was tied to the chair. The person never made a sound even as they were talking. Upon closer inspection, Raph noticed that the occupant in the chair was a doll made to look exactly like April. Then he noticed the device strapped to her back.

It was a bomb.

"We need to go," Miwa said.

"Maybe I can disarm it," Raph said.

"No, let's get out of here," Miwa insisted.

The clock began ticking faster as Raph fiddled with the bomb. He gasped and immediately fled the shed with Miwa. They ran as fast as they could and took cover just as the shed exploded.

"Man, that was close," Raph muttered.

Miwa glared at him. "You think?" she groused.

Raph was about to retort when his phone chimed that he had a text message. He opened his phone and read the message, his face contorting with anger.

**Don't you just hate it when a plan blows up in your face? Nice try, but you'll never catch me.—A. **

A/N: Yeah, I know it was a short chapter, but sometimes that happens when I get everything out that I want to. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Conspiracy Theory

A/N: And another chapter is here! I'm having so much fun getting this out, and I'm happy that this story is coming along nicely. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me and are the fuel that keeps me going. I'm keeping my word about finishing this story, and I intend to keep it to the very end. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.

Donnie sighed as he put down his tool. He'd been in the barn doing work in the lab that Kirby had set up for him in one part of the barn while the other part was a makeshift dojo. The Turtles only used it when it rained and usually trained outside when the weather was good. He got up and stretched, thinking he would go inside to take a break and get something to eat. He headed outside and saw Raph and Miwa coming from the woods. He followed them inside and remembered that they were going to try and find Robyn.

"Did you find anything?" he asked them after he was inside the house.

"Oh, we found something all right," Miwa answered. "She had a bomb set up in there. We almost didn't get out alive."

"Why didn't you call me to disarm it?" Donnie demanded, his eyes filling with anger.

"I figured I could do it myself," Raph replied.

"Raph, that was incredibly stupid!" Leo lectured. "You're lucky you weren't killed!"

"What is this about a bomb?" Splinter asked as he came downstairs with Kirby and Mikey behind him.

"Raph and I found an abandoned shed in the woods," Miwa answered. "We checked it out and saw a doll strapped to a chair with a bomb on it. I told Raph we needed to leave, but he wanted to try and disarm it himself. It didn't work, and the shed blew up."

"Was there anything else there?" Leo asked her.

"Not much except some regular tools," she replied.

"Did you see Robyn?" Kirby inquired.

"No, but I bet she set that as a trap," Raph grumbled.

"I TOLD you this, and you wouldn't listen to me," Miwa reminded him, rolling her eyes. "No wonder Leo gets so stressed around you."

"Shove it, sis," Raph said.

"Miwa and Leonardo are right, Raphael," Splinter chastised. "You are lucky the both of you were not killed. Clearly we are dealing with a very disturbed and dangerous person, so all of us must be cautious with what we do."

"Do you think Robyn set the bomb by herself?" Mikey asked.

"She probably learned how to do that in the nuthouse," Raph said.

"I don't think she did," said Don.

"What do you mean, Donnie?" asked Leo.

"I think she has an accomplice working with her," answered Don.

"But who would work with her?" asked Miwa.

"Well, when I was talking to Ivy, she told me that Robyn had a boyfriend at Crestwood," explained Don. "His name is Jason Biggerstaff, and he loved her. Ivy said she had a crush on him, too, but he went for Robyn instead of her."

"So you think that Jason has been helping her all this time?" Leo asked him.

"It seems likely," said Donnie. "I mean, she would have had to have help with the computers because April once wrote in her journal that Robyn wasn't very good with computers at all. So I'm sure Jason is very good at that sort of thing."

"So he could have rigged that bomb," Raph said.

"And he helped Robyn put Oyuki in the Dumpster," said Mikey.

"Exactly," Donnie said. "And Jason's probably been helping her hide out. I mean, she can't exactly rent an apartment in the city."

"So what do you think she's been doing?" Raph asked.

"I'm not sure, but I bet Jason's behind it," Donnie replied.

"You better tell Ali and Jack about this so they can look into it," Leo ordered.

Donnie sent a text to Ali and relayed what he knew. She responded that she would look into it and see if she could find more information on him.

"How long have you known about this, Donnie?" Raph asked him.

"For a while since my second conversation with her," he answered.

"Then why didn't you tell us this?" Leo demanded. There was a hurt look on his face as though Donnie had betrayed him.

"Because I wasn't sure if she had an accomplice yet," Don told him. "I wanted to wait and see if my theory was correct, but now that I think about everything, it definitely makes sense that Jason's been helping her. Robyn was manipulative, and I'm sure she was able to coerce Jason into helping her."

"He probably helped to set the fire in the antique shop, too," Leo surmised. "The windows were boarded up, and Robyn couldn't' have done that on her own."

The Turtles were excited as they thought about this new breakthrough. It definitely made sense that Robyn had help. But now they had to be on the lookout for two people instead of just one. Both of them were dangerous and capable of anything, so the Turtles knew they had to be careful.

Before anything else could be said, Kirby turned on the TV to the news. Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe appeared as the opening notes of the news theme song faded.

"We now have breaking news to report," Carlos reported. "The coroner has now completed the autopsy on Lynn Obiero. We now go live to a press conference."

The shot changed to outside the police station where a man in a suit was standing in front of a podium while the crowd gathered outside. Flashbulbs popped as pictures were taken. Behind him were members of the NYPD.

"We have finished the autopsy of Lynn Obiero's remains and have concluded that she was killed due to blunt force trauma from a weapon," the coroner said.

The Turtles gasped as they processed his words. He continued to talk about how she was killed at close range from the weapon. The press bombarded him with questions, but the Turtles weren't listening to any of it.

"She was killed with a weapon," Mikey said.

"That means that she didn't die when I pushed her off the roof," Leo added.

"And that means someone else killed her," Raph chimed in.

"It was either Robyn or Jason," Don said. "That's the only thing that makes sense to us now."

"At least we won't take the fall for it," Leo said.

"Yeah, but this definitely proves she has an accomplice," Don said.

"You think Jason killed her instead of Robyn?" Raph asked.

"It makes more sense for her to have Jason kill her," Don replied. "And if she was killed at close range from a weapon, it would seem logical that Jason would probably wield it."

"Do you think he killed April, too?" Mikey asked.

"No, I think Robyn did that on her own," Don answered. "But I'm sure Jason helped in some way after that."

Just as Leo was about to say something, the Turtles' phones rang simultaneously. Hearts pounding, they opened their phones and gasped as they read the text message inside.

**That's right, freaks, I did it. And guess what? You're next.—A. **

A/N: And another chapter comes to a close. Again, apologies about some of the chapters being short, but sometimes, I just think of a good place to end it and do so. And now things are really heating up with this revelation from A. Buckle up, my readers! It's going to be one wild ride. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Mikey and the Psychologist

A/N: So here's the next chapter in this saga. I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me and are the fuel that keeps me writing. So thanks once again. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more than that.

Mikey sighed with relief as he sat down on the couch. It felt so good to be back home now that the heat was off of them for Lynn's death. Sure, A's note was scary, and Mikey knew they had to be cautious about all of this, but for the time being, Mikey felt happy that they no longer had to fear that they killed an innocent girl because they hadn't.

He heard footsteps and swiveled around to see Kirby entering the Lair. It was always good to see him though Mikey figured he was going to visit with Splinter as he usually did. So Mikey was surprised when Kirby approached him.

"Hi, Mikey," Kirby greeted him. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Not at all," Mikey replied. "Aren't you gonna visit with Splinter?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to see how you were holding up, too," Kirby answered.

"Well, I'm relieved we didn't kill Lynn, so that's something, right?"

Kirby nodded. "Yes, that is something to be happy about. But I know you're still worried about Robyn being around."

"Well, yeah, we kind of do have to be worried about it," said Mikey. He hesitated as he studied April's father. There was something that had been bugging him, but he was afraid to bring it up for fear Kirby would either be offended or not answer his question.

The red-haired man also studied Mikey. "Is there something on your mind, Mikey?" he asked.

Mikey scratched the back of his head. "Well, yeah, but I don't know if you want to know about it," he replied.

"You can tell me anything," Kirby told him. "I don't mind."

"Well, I have a question to ask you."

"What is it?"

Mikey took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, you're a psychologist, right?"

Kirby laughed. "Yes, that is what I got my degree for," he said.

"Well, I was wondering if you had some sort of sense that Robyn was gonna turn out evil. Did you notice anything that maybe gave you a clue about what she was going to do?"

Kirby hesitated, and Mikey was afraid he wasn't going to answer the Turtle's question. Then he sighed. "No, I didn't. I knew that Robyn and April were fighting a lot, but I just thought it was regular sibling issues. I had no idea that Robyn hated April as much as she did, and I definitely didn't know that she was going to kill her. Then again, maybe I SHOULD have seen some signs. After all, I am a psychologist as you know, so you would think I would have seen something. But maybe I was deliberately blind to what was going on. Maybe I just didn't want to see it, so I turned a blind eye to it."

Mikey shook his head. "No, I don't think that's the issue at all," he said. "You just didn't think Robyn would do that, and I'm sure if you had seen something, you would have taken care of it. You can't blame yourself for what happened, Mr. O'Neil. There are a lot of parents out there who have evil kids, and they probably never knew what was going on either. Sure, they're gonna blame themselves, but they shouldn't do that. The kids made their own choices, and Robyn's no exception to that. You raised them right, so you shouldn't feel guilty at all for how things turned out. Sometimes, things happen that are out of our control. What Robyn did was horrible, but you didn't know it was going to get to that point. You're not a failure as a parent either. You did the best with what you had, and even if one daughter didn't turn out the way you wanted her to, you did a good job with April."

Kirby smiled. "Thanks, Mikey," he said. "That makes me feel better."

"Any time, Mr. O'Neil," Mikey replied. "That's what I'm here for."

"Yes, and I'm lucky to have met you. Was there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Well, I was wondering about how you would feel if we had to kill Robyn. I mean, I hope it won't come to that, but if we have to, will you be mad at us?"

Once again, Kirby hesitated as he processed Mikey's words. "I guess I would have mixed emotions about that," he answered. "I don't want it to come to that either, but if she's threatening to kill you or attempting to kill you, I know that you will have no choice. It's your way of life to protect your family, and I respect that. Yes, I'll be sad about her death, but there's no way I would ever be mad at you or the rest of your family, Mikey. You have all been through a lot because of my daughter, and while I'd love to see her rot in jail as much as you would, I understand that there may be another outcome. Will I be sad for her death? Maybe, but at one point, I feel as though I've lost her already. I felt that way after it was revealed she killed her sister. I don't feel as though I should mourn for her when I've already lost her. I know that sounds horrible to say as a parent, but that's how I feel."

Mikey was shocked by Kirby's words, but at the same time, he understood. He tried to imagine how Splinter would feel if Raph killed Leo and then threatened the rest of them with death. He would probably feel horrified and feel as though he'd lost one of his sons. Then again, Raph would never do that anyway. Despite his temper problems, Raph loved his family and would never hurt them on purpose no matter how many times he threatened to beat the green off of Mikey. But Mikey realized how hard all of this had been on Kirby. It must have sucked for him to deal with two daughters who couldn't get along and having to send one daughter away for the attempted murder of the other one. Then it must have sucked thinking that Robyn was better only to have her kill April and then try to kill the Turtles, too.

"I guess I can understand that," Mikey said softly. "It can't be easy for you going through this. I wish you didn't have to."

Kirby put a hand on Mikey's shoulder. "I know, Mikey, but I made a lot of mistakes that led to this point, too," he confessed. "I never should have made April keep the secret from you about Robyn. Maybe if she had told you, none of this would have happened."

"Maybe not, but then again, maybe it would have," Mikey replied. "Master Splinter has always taught us that the future isn't set in stone. Sure, if April had told us about Robyn, there could be a chance none of this would have happened, but there also the chance that it still would have happened anyway. You can't dwell on the past, Mr. O'Neil. What matters is catching Robyn and bringing her to justice so she can't hurt anyone else ever again."

Kirby sighed. "You're right, Mikey. The past doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that we have to focus on the here and now. Thanks for talking to me. It's really helped."

"No problem," Mikey said. "If you ever need to talk, you know we're all here for you."

"The same goes for you," Kirby said with a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to chat with Master Splinter for a little bit."

"You're not meeting with Leo today?"

"No, Splinter wanted to talk to me about something though I don't know what it is. I'll come back this weekend."

"Okay, that's cool." He waved at Kirby and watched as the man made his way to the dojo and to Splinter's quarters. While he was definitely curious about what Kirby had to talk to Splinter about, he knew it wasn't a good idea to eavesdrop on their conversation. So he turned back to the TV and turned on his video game console. Maybe beating up zombies would take his mind off of things.

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The next day, Mikey woke up on time to make breakfast. He smiled as he planned out the menu in his head and left his room. As he made his way to the living area, he noticed that his family was gathered in front of the television, horror on all of their faces. Curious, Mikey joined them and was shocked at what the reporter was saying.

"Police are unsure of why the explosion happened, though they are investigating the possibility of terrorism," the reporter was saying.

Mikey gasped as a shot of the building came into view. That was Kirby's apartment! "Guys, do you think Kirby was hurt?" he asked.

"I called the hospital the victims were being taken to, but no one could verify anything," Don replied.

"But you can hack into the computers, right?" Raph asked his brother.

"I probably could, but I don't know if that would yield anything either," said Don.

Before anyone could say anything more, Mikey's phone chimed with a text. He pulled it out and gasped as he saw who it was.

**I hope you enjoyed your therapy session, Mikey, because it looks like the doctor is out.-A. **

"Mikey, what is it?" Leo asked.

Mikey turned his phone around so they could see the text.

"Son of a bitch!" Raph swore.

"Well, looks like I won't have to hack into those records after all," Don said morosely.

"This has to stop," Leo said firmly. "Now she nearly killed Kirby!"

"Yeah, but what can we do?" Raph asked. "She's too smart, Leo."

"I don't know, but something has to be done," Leo declared. He stormed off to his room and didn't even bother coming out for breakfast or even training.

Mikey was just as upset as Leo was. Now Kirby had become a victim of Robyn's games. Yes, she needed to be stopped, but they had no idea what was going on or how to find her. All Mikey could do was hope that Kirby pulled through this nightmare. It wasn't fair that he had to suffer like this and become a victim. With a sigh, Mikey snapped out of his thoughts and concentrated on the lesson Splinter was teaching them. He could only hope that maybe Ali or Jack could find Robyn and bring her to justice.

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. I really enjoy writing Kirby and often feel it's a shame that he's not in the show that much because he's an interesting character. Let's just hope he pulls through this. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Lone Turtle

A/N: So here's the next chapter in this tale. I'm just so happy to be getting this out and making progress on this story. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me and are the fuel that keeps me going. With your help, you motivate me to continue this story to the end, and I can never thank you enough for it. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.

Leonardo sat in his room, brooding about what they'd heard. Kirby had been injured in the explosion and was in critical condition. Don had managed to hack into the hospital's computers and found the file for Kirby. This alarmed the Turtles greatly, but there was nothing they could do for April's father right now. They had to wait to see if he'd pull through. But despite this, Leo was angry. This had gone on far enough. Robyn needed to be stopped, and he was going to be the one to finish her off. He knew he was taking a huge risk in not involving his brothers (not to mention invoking their wrath at being excluded), but this was the only way to end this.

The blue-clad Turtle waited until everyone had fallen asleep and snuck out of the Lair. He made his way to the surface without incident, and that relieved him. Once he was on one of the rooftops, he pondered what to do. He didn't know where Robyn was or what she had planned, but he figured that maybe just combing the city would give him something. He knew Robyn couldn't hide forever, and he was determined to find her and bring her to justice one way or another.

He started leaping across rooftops and scanning the streets, but there was no sign of Robyn or her accomplice. He was about to contemplate his next move when he was interrupted.

"Having fun on your little stroll, Leo?" a familiar voice asked.

Leo whirled around and was shocked to see his brothers standing behind him. How could he not have sensed them there?

"How did you know where I was?" he demanded.

"I installed a tracker in your shell," Don answered. "When it went off, I knew you were on the move, so I woke up the others and we tracked you here."

Leo was annoyed at Don's audacity. "Why did you put a tracker on me?" he asked.

"To make sure you didn't do anything stupid," Don replied.

Mikey laughed. "Leave it to Donnie to be one step ahead of you, bro."

Leo glared at them. "That's not the point," he said. "It was wrong of you to do that without me knowing, Donnie. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Yes, I should be, but I'm not," said the purple-clad Turtle.

"You should be ashamed for doing this alone, Leo," Raph added. "Why didn't you tell us you were going to find her?"

"Because I didn't want you involved," replied Leo. "This is something I have to do myself."

"Dude, what part of No Turtle Left Behind don't you understand?" Mikey asked him. "We're all in this together, bro."

"Don't quote some dumb Disney movie to me, Mikey," Leo said. "This is something I have to do on my own."

"No, you don't, Leo," Donnie reprimanded him. "We're brothers and we're a team. We always do things together no matter what the risks are. You don't have to do this alone."

"But I don't want you to get hurt," Leo insisted.

"And what will happen if you get killed, Leo?" Raph demanded. "Do you think Splinter will be happy knowing that his Golden Boy is gone for good? Do you think Miwa will be happy knowing that you risked your life and got yourself killed because you were too noble to ask for our help? I'm so sick of you tryin' to play the hero, Leo. You're not Captain Ryan, bro. And what if you didn't achieve your goal and got killed? Would it be worth it? Stop being selfish, Leo. Think about us for a change."

"I AM thinking about you!" Leo yelled. "I'm tired of Robyn taking over our lives! She needs to be stopped, Raph, and I'm going to do this on my own without your help! Now, go back to the Lair this instant!"

Raph crossed his arms over his plastron. "We're not goin' anywhere without you, bro," he said. Mikey and Donnie nodded.

"As your leader, I command you to go back to the Lair," Leo said.

"No," Raph said, giving his brother a stubborn glare.

"Either you leave or I'll make you leave," Leo threatened.

"Is that a challenge?" Raph taunted.

"Raph, don't make me fight you," begged Leo. "Just go, okay?"

"I'm not goin' anywhere," stated Raph.

"Then you leave me no choice," said Leo and drew out his swords. Raph drew out his sais, ready to fight his brother one on one while Don and Mikey looked on helplessly.

"Guys, don't do this," begged Donnie. "Surely we can work this out some other way."

"Yeah, like rock paper, scissors or something," Mikey added.

"There is no other way," declared Leo. "If Raph won't listen to my orders, then we need to fight. If I win, all of you have to leave with no arguments. If Raph wins, then I'll abandon the mission."

But before ether of them cold engage in battle, Mikey cried, "Guys, look over there!"

The other Turtles turned to where Mikey was pointing and spotted a figure dressed in black leaping across the rooftops.

"Is it a member of the Foot?" Raph asked.

"It doesn't look like one of them," Leo answered.

"Should we follow them?" Don asked.

"I think we should see where this person goes," Leo replied.

With no more arguments, the Turtles leapt after the figure, making sure to stay several paces behind the figure so that they wouldn't see the mutants coming. The figure never sensed them or cared about anyone following them as it continued on its journey across the rooftops. The Turtles were intrigued by this figure and wondered what it was doing in the city. The figure continued on its course until it neared a group of warehouses. The figure leaped down and disappeared around the corner of one of the warehouses.

"What do you think, Fearless?" Raph asked.

"We better check it out," Leo answered. He leaped down, and his brothers followed him to the entrance.

A/N: Yeah, this is a bit short, but it's the best I could do. So what's going to happen next, and who was that mysterious figure? You'll have to read on to find out. Feel free to leave a review and hae a shelltastic day.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Shrine

A/N: And the next chapter is here! Part of this will take place right after Leo leaves the Lair and then will pick up at the warehouse and go from there. I want to thank all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me as always. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too. Buckle up because it's going to be one shell of a ride.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the pot and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Raph put down his comic and turned the TV off because he couldn't stand the show that was on. Don had managed to hack into the computers and found that Kirby was still in critical condition in the hospital though he was still alive. Well, that was something at least. Raph knew Leo was feeling bad, but there was nothing they could do about it. The others had gone to bed, and Raph decided it was time to sleep, too. He went by Leo's door but decided to leave him alone for the time being. No need to start a fight with him.

The next thing Raph knew he was being shaken awake by Donnie.

"Raph, wake up," Don hissed.

"What's goin' on, Donnie?" Raph asked groggily.

"Leo's gone," Don replied. "We need to follow him."

"And how do you know where he's goin', genius?" Raph grumbled.

"Because I installed a tracker on his shell," Don replied. "Now, let's get going."

Raph followed Don and Mikey to the surface. On one hand, it didn't surprise him that Leo would do this to them. On the other, it sucked that he was going off on his own and not including them in whatever he was planning on doing.

Sure enough, they found Leo on one of the rooftops. Rage seethed within Raph at the sight of his brother. They confronted him and demanded to know what he was doing. He explained that he was doing this for all of them and that he had to do it on his own. The others told him no and that they were in this together, but Leo stood his ground and ordered them away. Raph, always the stubborn one, refused the order. Leo ordered him again and said that if he didn't, it was going to come down to a fight. Once again, Raph stood his ground, determined not to let Leo walk all over him. Weapons were drawn, but before a fight could break out, Mikey saw something and pointed it out. The Turtles turned their attention to where he was pointing and saw a figure running across the rooftops. They followed the figure, who led them to a warehouse.

And so, here they were, getting ready to enter said warehouse. Leo leaped down and the others followed him. Don picked the lock and opened the door. Upon entering, the Turtles saw that there wasn't much to look at in the main area though there were quite a few doors leading to other rooms.

"So what do we do now, Fearless?" Raph asked his brother.

"Let's spread out and search," Leo replied.

The Turtles immediately fanned out and began looking at each of the doors. Raph's room yielded nothing but emptiness and he was beginning to think that this was a dead end. Maybe this guy was just a homeless bum who had nothing else better to do and was hiding out in a warehouse. But if that was the case, why hadn't the figure chased them off?

"Guys, I found something!" Mikey called.

Raph hurried to where Mikey was and found another room. A table was set up with burning candles and a few pictures of April. Above the table was a mural full of pictures of their old friend. There were pictures of her as a baby, pictures of her at school, and even some pictures of her with the Turtles. Above the pictures in glittery letters were the words, "We Miss You April."

"What the hell is this?" Raph demanded.

The slam of a door put the Turtles on alert. They whirled around, drawing their weapons. Footsteps sounded across the floor until two figures dressed in black appeared before the mutants. The two figures just stood there for a few minutes, staring at the Turtles. Then they both took off their hoodies and revealed themselves.

"Robyn?" Don gasped.

Robyn giggled. "In the flesh," she said. "Allow me to introduce my accomplice."

The boy smiled at the Turtles. "The name's Jason Biggerstaff, but you guys know me as Casey Jones," he said.

Raph's eyes widened. This guy was Casey? "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Just what I said," Jason replied. "I was playing you freaks all along, and you bought into it."

"Wait, Ivy said that you were Robyn's boyfriend," Don said.

Jason laughed. "Ah, Ivy," he said. "What an idiot and a fool. She always had a thing for me, but my heart was set on someone else all along. Too bad the bitch never saw it coming." He took Robyn's hand and gazed at her in adoration.

"You better start talking," ordered Leo. "How did you set up this ruse?"

"It was easy," Jason said. "I was Casey Jones long before April died. I kidnapped him and got out of him as much information about his life as I could. It was easy to lure April into my trap, and she fell for it. She was probably really surprised when I showed up after her sister pushed her in that hole, not that I looked to see if she was. Our plan all along was to kill April so Robyn could take her rightful place, but it backfired. Her father took her back to Crestwood, and so we made our plan to get back at you freaks. I was the one who helped Robyn set that fire at the antique shop. When that plan didn't work out, we orchestrated another one to get back at all of you. I once again fell into the role of Casey Jones to gain your trust, and it worked. I knew I couldn't get too close to you, but you gave me all of the ammunition I needed. I reported back to Robyn every day and let her know what was going on with all of you. It was only a matter of time before you freaks showed up in the open where we would be able to take you out."

"You set off that bomb at Kirby's apartment," Don said.

Robyn giggled. "Of course we did," she said. "I'm not good with explosives, but Jason an expert, so he did it."

"My dad was in the military so he taught me a few things," Jason added. "I guess that was a big mistake for him, wasn't it? I also set off the bomb in that shed, hoping to take you out, but it didn't work."

"What about Lynn?" Leo demanded. "Did you know her?"

"I met her while out on my own," Robyn answered. "I knew I had to do something to throw you freaks off the trail, so I used her as bait. She had burn scars so I knew she'd be perfect. I promised her a huge reward if she did what I asked, and the little bitch couldn't resist, so she did my dirty work."

"And then you killed her," Raph stated.

"I had to," said Robyn. "If I didn't, she would have blabbed to the cops that I was alive. But it was fun making you think you guys did it. I loved watching you squirm and freak out about it, especially you, Leo. How's your girlfriend doing?"

"Leave her out of this!" Leo snarled.

Raph was confused. "Leo, what is she talking about?"

"Ah, so you didn't tell them?" Robyn asked. "Your brother had a flashback and nearly killed the love of his life. It was so much fun watching him going insane over the death of some insignificant girl and thinking that I was there. I almost wish he had killed Madison. Then he would have a real death on his conscience."

"You are an evil bitch!" Raph spat out. "It's time for you to go down!'

"I don't think so," Robyn said. "You'll never get rid of me that easily, Raph."

"What's with the poster and the pictures?" Mikey asked her.

"That? Oh, that's your shrine to April. We all know you miss her so much, and this is your farewell gesture as you join her in the afterlife."

"We figured it was a fitting end to everything," Jason added. "We all know none of you can live without April. You've been thinking about her all this time, and it's made you mad. You've gotten to the point where you feel life isn't worth living, and so you've decided to take your own lives as a way to join her in the afterlife."

"That's not true!" snarled Leo.

"But that's what the cops will think when they see you dead on the floor," said Robyn. "They'll think you arranged this. I'm sure Splinter will have an ice little memorial for you as he burns your bodies. Isn't that what they do for Japanese funerals?"

Raph was shocked. This bitch was definitely twisted enough to do this to them. He looked at his brothers and saw Leo mouth the words, "Stall her." Yes, it was the perfect plan. If they could stall her, maybe they could get a message to Ali and Jack that Robyn was alive and finish this once and for all.

"Where's Ivy?" Don demanded. "What did you do with her?"

"That's for us to know and you to obsess about," Robyn taunted.

"How did you two meet?" Mikey asked.

"We met at Crestwood," Robyn answered. "I knew I had to get someone to help me with my plan, and Jason was just the perfect person. I never meant to fall in love with him, but as time went on, he became my soul mate. He's the only one who's ever really understood me and the only one who cared about my plight and what happened. None of the doctors understood what was going on. None of them cared that I was being locked up against my will. But Jason did. He knew I wanted to get back at my sister, and he vowed to help me. So we plotted it out and made the perfect plan to get back at her. It was the best day of my life when April died. I was finally free of her, but I knew my plans weren't over yet. I had to get rid of you freaks as well, and Jason made sure to do all he could to make it happen."

"But it didn't work," Raph pointed out. "We're still here."

"A minor setback," Jason said. "Mistakes happen. I was sure Robyn would be mad at me for not succeeding in killing you, but she took it in stride. We hid out while I treated her burns and then came back to New York to formulate another plan of action. We knew we had to get rid of all of you because you knew too much and were too dangerous to live. Lynn was only the starting point, but we figured it would be enough. But you freaks just don't know how to stay down. Even trying to blow you up in the woods didn't work out, and we knew that you would be onto us by that time."

"You were the figure we followed here," said Raph.

"Yes, I was, and you took the bait," laughed Jason. "You boys are just so stupid."

"At least we aren't psychopaths!" Raph snapped.

"I think the police will be interested to hear what you've done," Leo said. "Do the right thing and turn yourselves in."

Robyn giggled. "Oh, I'm not going to jail, Leo," she said. "I've worked too hard to stay out of there. We're going to go somewhere far away where you boys can't follow us."

"And we'll start new lives there, too," Jason added.

"You'll never get away with this," Don declared.

"We already did," Robyn said. "And now, it's time for you freaks to say goodbye."

A/N: Ooh, a cliffhanger! So what's going to happen next? So many revelations in this chapter have been revealed. The next chapter should be up soon. I'm also happy to say that I finished the whole outline of this story, so it will be completed which I'm happy about. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Three Simple Words

A/N: And here we come to the climatic chapter where everything goes down. I'm so excited to be posting this chapter as it's one of my favorites that I've outlined. I want to thank all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Thanks so much for sticking with this story even when I left you hanging for so long. Your kind words and encouragement mean the world to me and I can't thank you enough for taking a chance on me. I really hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and the OCs.

Robyn smirked as she motioned to Jason. He walked over to a tap and twisted it. A sweet smell permeated the room, and Don could see that his brothers were confused about what it could be. Don hesitated, trying to pinpoint the smell and then his eyes widened in shock. Robyn and Jason had filled the warehouse with cyanide. Don tried to convey this to his brothers, but they were coughing and gasping so they couldn't hear him. Robyn and Jason smirked as they put on masks so the gas wouldn't affect them.

Don looked frantically around. There had to be a way out of here, but he saw no option. He watched as Robyn strolled up to each of his brothers and taunted them. The hissing of the gas was so loud, Don couldn't hear what she was saying, but he knew it couldn't be good. He sank to his knees, coughing and gasping as he did his best to try to save his oxygen. He knew exactly what was going on. Robyn and Jason had staged this to kill them and then escape. When help arrived, the Turtles would be dead, making it look like they had killed themselves due to their depression over missing April, which was far from the truth.

Robyn strolled over to Donnie, a smirk on her face. "Hey, Donnie, it's been a while," she said. "Did you miss me?"

Don coughed and shook his head violently. There was no way he had missed her.

"Aww, sure you did," she taunted. "You think about me all of the time, don't you?" She ran her hand seductively up and down his arm.

Don shook her off, a snarl coming out of his mouth.

Robyn smiled. "You know, it doesn't have to be this way, Donnie," she said. "I can make all of this go away. I can stop the gas and let you guys live. You just have to do one thing for me."

"What's that?" Don gasped out.

"Tell me you love me," Robyn ordered. "Admit that you've been thinking about me and fantasizing about me. You've been hoping all along that I would repent of my ways and come back to you guys so you could have the happy ending you've been craving. Just say the word, Donnie, and you and your brothers will live."

Don hesitated. Sure, he wanted his brothers to live and for this mess to end, but he knew Robyn was lying. She would never set them free. Besides, he didn't love her at all. He never did.

"I hate you," he whispered.

"What was that?" Robyn asked. "I didn't quite hear you. Say it louder, Donnie."

Don took a deep breath and looked into Robyn's hate-filled eyes. "I hate you!" he said louder. "I never loved you and I never will! You are a sick, twisted, and demented person, and you deserved to be locked up for everything you've ever done! My love is for April and Irma Langenstein, not you!"

Robyn snarled and bared her teeth at his words. "Have it your way then," she said. "I think I'll kill you first." She pulled out a gun, and Don's breath caught in his throat at the sight of it. Why didn't she just let the gas finish them off instead? Why would she want to kill him in this manner? He took in her face which was covered in scars. Her teeth were ugly and one of them was rotted. She was definitely a sick person, and all Don wanted to do was get rid of her, but he was too weak. She held the gun to his head and smiled.

"Say goodbye, Donnie dear," she said.

Don closed his eyes as a shot rang out and his whole world went dark.

22222

Don was floating in a boat with water surrounding him. Where was he? How had he gotten here? He heard a voice and saw April beckoning to him.

"Donnie, over here!" she said.

"April? What are you doing here?"

"We're together at last," she said. "I always knew I'd find you someday."

Shock registered on Don's face. "Am I dead?" he asked her.

Sadness filled her. "I'm afraid so," she said. "You didn't make it."

"No!" Don gasped. "I'm not ready to die yet! I have so much to live for! I can't leave my brothers now!" He pulled away from April and dove into the water. He tried to swim away from her though she kept calling his name. No, he wasn't ready to leave just yet.

He opened his eyes and saw that he was in the infirmary of the Lair. He turned and saw his brothers beside him while Splinter, Ali, and Jack leaned over him.

"Donatello, are you all right?" Splinter asked gently.

Don bolted upright. "What happened?" he gasped.

Jack pushed Don down gently. "Easy there," he said. "You've had a bit of a shock.'

"What's going on?" Don demanded.

"We managed to get you out of the warehouse," Ali replied. "If we had waited any longer, you boys would have been dead with all of that cyanide in there."

"How did you find us?" Leo asked. Don started and noticed that his brothers were sitting up as well.

"Splinter saw you sneak out of the Lair and called us," Ali answered. "He figured you were going to find Robyn, so we tracked you to the warehouse. We burst inside and saw Jason Biggerstaff trying to escape, but we caught him."

"What about Robyn?" Mikey asked. "Did you catch her, too?"

"Robyn wasn't there, Mikey," Ali said. "It was all Jason's idea. He was obsessed with Robyn and lured you to the warehouse to kill you. It was revenge for you killing Robyn in the fire."

"But Robyn was there!" protested Don. "We all saw her, right, guys?"

Raph nodded. "She was definitely there. She wanted to kill us."

"She built a shrine and said it was our shrine to April," added Leo. "They filled the warehouse with gas to make it look like we killed ourselves so they could escape."

"She told me that if I told her I loved her, she would undo all of it," Don chimed in. "I said I hated her and she pointed a gun at my head. Did she shoot me?"

"No, I shot Jason in the shoulder," Jack answered. "Robyn wasn't there."

"You boys hallucinated her, which makes sense given the amount of cyanide in the room," Ali explained. "I think you were imagining her because it was your worst fear. You were afraid you were going to confront her, so your minds conjured her up."

"But that's impossible!" Don protested. "No one can imagine the same things like that!"

"Poisonous gases can do anything," Ali told him. "You imagined her, boys. That's it. We have Jason and he's going to go to jail for what he did. He even admitted to killing April and that he was the one who killed Lynn, too."

"What about Ivy?" Don asked.

"We found her in an abandoned apartment building," Ali answered. "She's alive, but she almost died."

"Then she can confirm it was Robyn," Don said. "I'm sure she knows it was her."

"Ivy Jones isn't in any condition to talk to anyone," Ali informed them. "She's still very shaken up and won't answer our questions. You boys have been through a lot. It's time for you to rest."

"What about Casey?" Raph asked. "Jason said he impersonated him."

"We found his body not too long ago," Ali said. "Jason admitted that he killed Casey in order to impersonate him. Look, Jack and I have to go right now. We'll stop by in a few days to see how you are, but we have a lot of work to do now. Just rest and everything will be okay. It's over, boys. You don't have to live in fear anymore."

With that, she and Jack left the Turtles. After the two detectives were gone, the Turtles gazed at one another. Was she right? Had they just imagined Robyn was there?

"Sensei, do you believe us?" Leo asked.

Splinter nodded. "Yes, I do," he said. "I know you boys would never lie about something like that. I believe you did see her and that she tried to kill you."

"So why don't Ali and Jack believe us?" Raph demanded. "Why do they insist we imagined Robyn?"

"Sometimes it is easier to pretend that things are fine even when they are not," Splinter replied. "I think it is easier for them to believe Robyn is dead so they feel they have succeeded in capturing April's killer on their own."

"But they didn't!" Don protested. "Robyn is April's killer! We know she did it!"

"I know, my son, and I believe you, but it will not be easy to convince Alison and Jack of this," Splinter said gently.

"So what do we do?" Leo asked him.

Splinter sighed. "There is not much we can do," he replied. "For now, you boys need to rest. All of this will be sorted out soon enough. However, I want you boys to remain alert. We know that Robyn is still out there and will stop at nothing to make sure you are eliminated. Be cautious and ready for anything for this war is far from over. Is that understood?'

"Hai, Sensei," the Turtles said.

Splinter kissed each of his sons on the forehead. "I am so glad you are safe," he said. "I was afraid I had lost you." Then he turned and left them alone.

"Dude, this sucks," Mikey said morosely. "I so wish they would have captured Robyn."

"I guess this means it's not over," Raph said gloomily.

"We'll always be running from her," Don added.

"No, we won't," Leo said firmly. "When the time is right, we'll take her down. We're not going to let Robyn win. Jason may be in jail, but Robyn's not going to just let the cops take her. She'll bide her time, and when she feels she's safe, she'll try and strike again."

"And what does that mean for us?" Don asked him.

A determined look crossed Leo's face. "It means we take her down for good," he declared.

The others nodded as they put their hands on top of one another in a show of solidarity. The war was far from over, and they knew they had to end this once and for all. But as long as they had each other, nothing was going to stop them from bringing Robyn down and making her pay for all of her crimes. They were ninjas, and ninjas did everything they could to achieve their ends. Robyn may have tried to kill them, but they weren't down yet, and Robyn needed to learn the most important lesson of all: Never mess with the Hamato Clan.

A/N: And another chapter comes to a close. This isn't the end of the story yet. I have four aftermath chapters to write and then the story will be over for real. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Starting Over

A/N: And here's the first of the aftermath chapters for this saga. We're slowly coming to the end of this story, and I couldn't be happier with how this has turned out. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. It's you guys who have helped me to keep this going even when I felt like giving up a few times on this whole thing. So thanks for that. And if you're out there and haven't taken a chance on me or my stories, don't be shy. I accept any and all feedback. Heck, even if you say this series sucks, I'm fine with that even if I may not agree with your opinion. Feedback is what keeps us writers going and helps us to improve, so I always appreciate it when people take the time to read and review my work. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more than that.

Mikey started humming a tune as he made his way out of his room. He was on his way to Murakami's since he hadn't been there in a little while since the whole ordeal with Robyn and Jason. He was sure Murakami was going to ask questions, and though Mikey knew he'd be reluctant to answer them, he would still do so because he cared about his friend.

As he entered the living area, he spotted Kirby on the couch watching TV. Kirby had now fully recovered from his ordeal with Robyn and was now living with them since he couldn't live in his apartment since it was being renovated. He would have lived with his sister, Agatha O'Neil, but she had gone to Florida to her home down there to live for a while and he wasn't sure when she was coming back.

"Hey, Mikey, are you going out?" Kirby asked.

"Yep. I'm going to Murakami's. You want me to bring you back anything?"

"I'd like some of his ramen noodles if you can get it," Kirby answered.

"Cool, I'll be sure to ask him for that," said Mikey.

"Okay. Have fun."

"Will do," said Mikey as he waved to Kirby and headed into the sewers. He was happy that Kirby was living with them as he was fun to be around and always had time to spend with all of them at various times. Splinter had even offered to train him in ninjutsu, but Kirby had declined, saying his body wouldn't cooperate with him if he did stuff like that. But he did join in on the meditation sessions and was even been offering sessions to his clients which Splinter appreciated.

Mikey left the sewers and headed to the surface. He glanced around making sure no one was watching him. He knew he shouldn't be worried, but he couldn't help but glance around and wonder if Robyn was still lurking in the shadows. Was she still in New York, or had she fled the state so no one would catch her? Jason was now in jail and was awaiting trial, and Mikey couldn't help but wish that Robyn was joining him in that endeavor, though she wasn't. With one last glance around him, Mikey jumped down and entered the noodle shop.

Mr. Murakami smiled as he heard Mikey's footsteps. "Ah, Michelangelo-san, it is nice to see you again,' he said. Even though he was blind, Murakami was very good at detecting which of the Turtles entered his shop by their footsteps.

"Hey, Murakami-san, what's shakin'?" Mikey asked him.

Murakami chuckled. "I would assume that is another American way of asking how I am, is it not?"

"Yep, pretty much," Mikey replied.

"Well, I am doing very well especially since I now have a new helper," Murakami said.

"That's cool," said Mikey.

"Yes, here she comes now," said Murakami.

The doors to the back opened and out stepped someone Mikey knew very well. He smiled as he saw Kala come out to the front.

"Hey, Kala, nice to see you again," Mikey said.

"Same here, Mikey," Kala replied. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good," Mikey answered. "So how'd you get this job?"

"I remembered you telling me about the noodle shop, so I came here after I talked to you and asked Mr. Murakami if he could hire me for a job. He agreed, and I've been working here ever since."

"That's awesome!" Mikey praised her. "I'm glad you took my advice."

"So am I," Kala agreed. "It pays pretty well, and I'm just glad I have something to do."

"And how are you doing, Michelangelo-san?" Murakami asked him.

Mikey told him about their ordeal with Jason and Robyn and how Ali and Jack didn't believe Robyn was there and that the Turtles had imagined her. "But I know we saw her," he insisted. "We wouldn't just lie about something like that."

"I believe you, Michelangelo," said Murakami. "You have a pure heart that is always worn on your sleeve. I do not think you would make something like that up. So what happened to Jason?"

"He's in jail awaiting trial," Mikey answered. "I just wish Robyn was there, too."

Murakami sighed. "Yes, I know, my friend. This has all been hard for you as well as for all of us who have suffered at her hands."

"I just wish there was a way to catch her," Mikey lamented. "Donnie's been working on his computer to see if he can find anything, but so far, there's been no luck. I just don't think she's gonna come out of hiding. She's too smart for that, though Leo thinks that there's gonna be a point where she slips up, and if she does, then we can catch her."

"That sucks, Mikey," Kala said sympathetically. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"You could keep your eyes open and let us know if she shows herself, but I don't think she will," Mikey replied.

"Perhaps she has fled the state and is somewhere else now," Murakami mused.

"That's what Raph said, but we don't know for sure," Mikey told him. He sighed. "I guess the best thing we can do is try to move on, but it's not easy. Kirby's living with us now."

"And how is he doing?"

"Good. He loves hanging out with us."

"That is a good thing. He is a very charming man."

"Yeah, he asked me if you'd give him some of your famous ramen noodles. He's been craving them."

Murakami chuckled. "Of course I will give him the noodles," he said gently. "And I'll throw in some pizza gyoza for your brothers as well." He hurried to the kitchen and began preparing both meals.

Kala smiled at Mikey. "I'm so glad you're here, Mikey," she said.

"So am I," Mikey agreed. "Do you like it here?"

"I love it," Kala replied. "For a blind guy, Murakami is amazing with what he can do. He once told me he was training to be a ninja before he was blinded. I figured he would give up on that after getting blinded, but the accident just motivated him to do it more. He's definitely got wicked skills."

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, I've seen him in action, and he's great. He doesn't let anything get him down. So, when you get a spare moment, would you like to hang out sometime?"

Kala laughed. "I'd love to hang out with you, Mikey," she replied. "Maybe we could go skateboarding together."

"I'd like that," Mikey said with a smile.

"Great. I'll call you sometime once I get a free moment."

Murakami returned with Mikey's order, and Mikey took that as his cue to leave so the ramen noodles wouldn't get cold. He promised to come back soon and to talk to Kala later before leaving the shop. Once again, he glanced around as if expecting Robyn to pop out of the shadows, but no one was there. Breathing a sigh of relief, Mikey headed to the sewers and back home. He replayed the conversation with Kala and smiled to himself. He had a future date with her! How awesome was that? Sure, he still missed Oyuki and always would, but he knew it was time for him to move on, and he had a feeling Oyuki would want that. He gave Kirby his food along with the gyoza for his brothers after eating a few himself. Then he went to his room and began drawing a picture of Kala. On instinct, he looked down at his phone, expecting it to chime with a taunting text from A about how he shouldn't rest so easy, but his phone stayed silent. And as much as Mikey felt he should have been happy about that, he instead felt like it was a warning that something was about to come.

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. Only three more to go before this story is completed. I admit that the aftermath chapters won't be that suspenseful, but they aren't meant to be just yet. That's going to be saved for the third story in the series. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: On Edge

A/N: Here's the next chapter in this saga. Now we'll find out how Leo's coping with everything that has happened to him and his brothers. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me. And if you're out there and haven't reviewed this story or any others in my Truth and Lies series, don't be shy. I welcome any and all feedback from someone saying, "I really like this series! Please update soon!" all the way to someone saying, "This series sucks and you are a horrible writer!" Seriously, I can take it no matter what you have to say, so don't feel that you can't review my stuff. Take that chance and let me know what you think. Feedback is not only what keeps me writing but it also helps me to see how readers feel about my story and how my work is resonating with others. In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well as the chapters to come.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and my OCs.

The night was clear and peaceful with just a bit of wind. Leo ran across the rooftops on his way to Madison's apartment. After the incident in the warehouse, Splinter had recommended that the Turtles stay indoors for a while until they were well enough to go off on their own. It had been very frustrating for Leo, who wanted to see Madison so badly. He was still reeling from the fact that Ali and Jack didn't believe that Robyn had been there and that it had been Jason all along. It made him angry that the detectives didn't believe them and acted as though the Turtles had merely imagined her.

A nearby rustling noise caused Lo to whirl around, his katanas out and ready to strike. He hesitated, expecting to see Robyn pop out of the shadows with a taunting smile on her face. However, it was only a pigeon who had alighted on one of the heating units. The pigeon cooed and then took off in flight.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Leo put his swords back and resumed his trek across the rooftops. When was he going to stop with this paranoid delusion? Why couldn't he just move on from all of this? It just didn't seem fair that all of this had to happen to them when all they really wanted was some peace and quiet.

Leo reached Madison's apartment and saw her in the window waiting for him. A smile broke out on his face as he landed in front of her window. She hoisted the window up and beckoned him inside.

"I was hoping you would visit today," said Madison with a smile. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Maddie," replied Leo. He pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips. She melted into the kiss, giving a little moan of pleasure. He had definitely missed kissing Maddie, and he reveled in this moment of how good it felt.

They pulled away and looked into each other's eyes, the love shining through. No matter how hard things got for Leo, he could always count on Madison to help him through it.

"How have you been?" Leo asked her.

"Pretty good," Madison answered. "Leah visited me the other day."

"Oh? How is she?"

"Still a pain as always. She keeps trying to get me to move from New York to California because she says it's so much better out there. I told her I wasn't going to move because I have better things out here for me. Then she asked me what I had, and I told her I had a really good friend who I couldn't leave."

"And what did she say to that?"

"She asked if I loved this friend, and I said I did."

A smile crossed Leo's face at her words. "And let me guess, she wants to meet me, right?"

Madison giggled. "Yeah but I told her she can't meet you because you have a skin condition."

Okay, that was a new one to Leo. Most humans they met never asked if they had a disease of some sort. They mostly just ran away in terror screaming about how there were aliens in New York.

"A skin condition, huh?" he teased. "So, what's it called? Mutantitis?"

Madison laughed again. "No, I haven't told her the exact condition. All I said was that it was serious and that you didn't like being around a lot of people. She said, 'Well, if that's the case, then he must not be too shy to be around you then. So why can't he be around me?' I told her you were very particular about who you met because you were bullied for your condition."

"Did she accept that?"

"Yeah, she did, and that made me feel better."

"I know, but I wish she could meet me to see how I really am. I just hate how people tend to judge me just for being a mutant and not for the good I do."

Madison gave his hand a squeeze. "It shouldn't matter, Leo. I love you, and that's all that matters in the end. You have been accepted by some humans, and maybe one day, more humans will learn how awesome you and your brothers really are. So, what's been going on with you?"

"Well, we had quite an adventure," Leo answered. "We went to a warehouse after we saw this figure running across the rooftops. We thought it was someone from the Foot, but it didn't look like them. We followed them to a warehouse and found a shrine to April was there. After that, we were confronted by Robyn and her accomplice, Jason Biggerstaff."

"Who's Jason?" Maddie asked.

"He's Robyn's boyfriend," Leo said. "Anyway, they trapped us and tried to kill us by putting cyanide in the warehouse."

Maddie gasped. "How horrible! How did you get out?'

"Ali and Jack tracked us to the warehouse after Splinter alerted them that we were gone," Leo replied. "So we were able to get out of there. They arrested Jason, but Robyn fled. We told Ali and Jack that Robyn was there, but they didn't believe us and said it was all Jason's doing. They said that we must have imagined her, but it's not true. We saw her, Maddie. We really did."

"I believe you, Leo," Madison said softly. "I know you'd never make up something like that. So what do you think is going to happen now?"

"We don't know, but we have to be on alert," Leo answered. "I want you to be on alert, too, Maddie. There's no telling what Robyn will do, and if she gets to you, I don't know what I'll do if I lose you."

Madison noticed the trembling in his voice and she grew worried. She embraced him, stroking his shell gently. "Don't worry about me, Leo," she soothed. "I'll be okay. You've been training me, and I know that as long as I have you in my life, things are going to be okay. We can even go over some new techniques if you want to."

Leo nodded. "Yeah, it's best for you to be prepared," he said. "I won't let Robyn take you and hurt you."

"Great. Can we get started?"

"Yeah, I'll show you how to get out of a hold," he said. He went through the motions of the many ways she could escape an enemy's hold and had her go through it with him. After a few tries, Maddie got the hang of it, and that made Leo feel good. If she could escape someone's hold, Robyn couldn't hurt her. After that was done, Leo had her go through other things he'd taught her to make sure she had the basics down. He was proud of all she had learned and felt better knowing that she could handle herself against any enemy she faced.

"Not bad, huh?" she said.

"You did great, Maddie," Leo said. "I'm really proud of you."

"It all comes of having a great teacher," she said as she playfully nudged his arm.

He blushed. "I'm not that good," he said modestly. "Master Splinter's way better than I am."

"And yet, if I recall, it was you who offered to teach me and I accepted," she reminded him. "If I wasn't confident in your abilities, I never would have asked you. You're a great teacher, Leo. I feel safe with you."

"Thanks, Maddie," he said. "That means a lot coming from you."

After their lesson was concluded, Maddie showed him a few new knitting techniques to help him avoid stress. With Robyn still looming out there, Leo was still stressed out, but knitting helped him get over that. Well, that and writing fan fiction which he was still doing as well. As they knitted, he and Maddie talked about his latest work and how so many people were excited about what he was doing.

"I swear, you could be an author yourself, Leo," she said.

"Nah, Mikey's better at it than me," he answered.

"Why are you always so down on yourself?" she asked him.

"I'm not down on myself!" he protested. "I mean, I know I'm good, but there's always going to be someone better than me."

She giggled. "Yeah, but you shouldn't act like you aren't good either because you are. You have a lot of talent, Leo. That has to count for something."

"It does, but I can't worry about that now," Leo answered. "I have to focus on what's to come."

"But what if Robyn's not even in New York?" she insisted. "She could be in another country for all we know. And if she is, you have nothing to worry about."

Leo shook his head. "Until Robyn's brought to justice, I'm always going to worry," he replied. "It's just who I am. I always have to be on alert. That's what true ninjas do."

She sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's not over until she's in jail, right?"

"That's right. But for what it's worth, I did have fun with you today."

'Me, too, Leo. I always have fun when I'm with you." She leaned over and kissed his lips once again. He responded in kind and melted into the kiss. Since the first time they tried this, they had become more attuned to one another and had found a way to kiss that wasn't awkward despite their different mouth shapes. Remembering how weird it was for them the first time caused Leo to start laughing which caused Maddie to pull away.

"What's so funny, Leo?" she asked.

"Remember when we first kissed?" he asked her. "I was just thinking of that and how funny it was."

She laughed, too. "Yeah, we were pretty bad at it."

"We've gotten better though," he reminded her.

"Yeah, definitely better. And you know, there is something else I want to try too."

Leo blanched at her words, a blush crawling up his cheeks. "Maddie, I don't think it's a good idea," he said.

"I'm not saying we have to do it now, Leo. I'm just saying that I eventually would love to try that with you. Don't you want it, too?"

"I do, but not right now," he answered. "A ninja can't afford any distractions."

She rolled her eyes. "And yet, you're fine with kissing me and don't think of that as a distraction.'

"It is a distraction, but not as much of a distraction as that other thing," he told her. "But maybe after all of this is sorted out, we can try it."

"I guess I can't say no to you, Leo," she said as she nuzzled his cheek.

"Nope, I'm too irresistible," he teased.

"You got that right," she agreed.

Leo looked at the clock. "I'd better get home before Sensei worries," he said. "I'll see you again soon, okay?"

"Yeah, that's cool," she said. "See you soon." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Leo answered. He waved to her before heading home, his heart filled with love. He was so happy, and he only hoped that Robyn wouldn't spoil it as she was apt to do.

When he arrived home he found Miwa lounging on the couch watching a reality show. She turned as she came in, a small smile on her face.

"How was your date with Madison?" she asked.

"It was great," he answered. "Are you jealous of me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course not! I'm so happy for you, Leo. I could never be jealous of that. And maybe somewhere there's someone out there for me, too."

"Yeah, maybe," he said. "I'm gonna go report to Sensei."

"Wait, you're gonna report to him about your date?" Miwa asked him.

"Yeah. I'm sure he has some questions for me."

Miwa shrugged and said nothing more even though Leo knew she felt it was weird of him to do that. He waved to her and made his way to Splinter's room.

Splinter was seated on his tatami mat when Leo opened the door to his room. "Good evening, Leonardo," he greeted his son. "How was your date with Madison?"

"It was good, Sensei," he answered. "We had a nice time."

"And what did you do?"

"I showed her some new moves, and she showed me some new knitting techniques," Leo explained. "We talked about what happened to us and how we feel Robyn is still out there. She thinks the same thing, too."

"Well, at least she believes you," Splinter said. "Is that all you did tonight, my son?"

"Hai, Sensei," Leo said. "We didn't do anything you wouldn't approve of."

A twinkle shone in Splinter's eye. "Who says I would not approve?" he asked his son.

Leo blushed. "Well, you're our dad, so you're very protective of us, so I just figured that like any other dad, you wouldn't approve of us being intimate together."

"If you were still fifteen, you would be right," replied Splinter. "However, you are an adult and have the right to decide for yourself what you do or don't do. Most parents would not be this lenient if their children were still living at home. However, I am different in that regard. I feel that you and your brothers and sister are intelligent enough and mature enough to decide for yourselves what you should do regarding romantic situations. My own father did the same for me when I became of age. I feel that many parents are still too overprotective of their children in certain matters and that hinders them from growing."

"But you still are overprotective in some ways, Master Splinter," Leo pointed out.

Splinter nodded. "That is true, but I am doing my best to try and stop that. I have to have faith I my children and trust them or they will never grow as they should. You have grown so much, Leonardo, and I have faith that you will do the right thing. As long as you and Madison both agree on these matters, I will not worry about it."

"Well, she wants to try that, but I told her to wait until things settle down. I just can't be distracted as long as Robyn's out there. I don't want Robyn to get more ammunition to hurt Maddie. So until Robyn is stopped for good, I told her we had to wait. I just can't get distracted from this task."

"I understand, my son, and I'm sure she does as well. Were you really afraid of what my reaction would be?"

"Hai, Sensei. I just can't get over the fact that you're still the parent and I still have to tell you about certain things."

"That is true, but in time, that will go away. I trust you, and I hope that you understand that."

"I do, Sensei, and that means a lot to me that you have faith in me. I hope I won't disappoint you in anything that I do."

"You never will, Leonardo. You will always be my brave warrior no matter what you do and how many mistakes you make. I will always love you, your brothers, and your sister with all of my heart as any parent does."

"I love you, too, Father," Leo said as he embraced Splinter.

"Good. Now it is time for you to get some rest."

Leo nodded and bowed to his father before heading to his room. He was glad he'd had that talk with Splinter and that Splinter trusted him enough to make his own decisions regarding Madison. He just hoped that all of this madness with Robyn would end soon so that they could get on with their lives. He looked at his phone, expecting to see a taunting text about kissing and telling, but his phone was silent as it had been since the warehouse incident. He had a feeling Robyn was biding her time and would strike when she felt it was the best time. But when she did, he would be ready to stop her once and for all from hurting his family.

A/N: And another chapter is done. This one turned out longer than I thought it would, but I'm happy with it. And what Splinter says is very true and something I think he would feel about his sons and daughter now that they're adults. They have to grow on their own and learn from their mistakes and they can't do that if Splinter is always the one to tell them they can't do this or that. He trusts his children to do what is right, and that's always important with parents and children. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day. Only two more chapters to go before this story is complete.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Cooling the Fire

A/N: Another chapter is here! I'm so excited to be bringing you this chapter and I'm just one step closer to finishing this story completely. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me. And if you haven't read and reviewed, don't be shy. I welcome any and all feedback no matter if it's good or bad. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more than that.

Raph smiled as he navigated the rooftops with Lucindra. It had been a while since he'd been out after their ordeal at the warehouse, and being cooped up had been driving him crazy. But now that was all over and he was back where he belonged.

"I hope we get to bust some heads today," Lucindra said.

"Yeah, that'll be a good thing," Raph agreed.

A sudden commotion made them stop in their tracks. It sounded like someone was getting beaten up.

"What's that?" Lucindra asked him.

"I'm not sure, but we'd better check it out," Raph answered.

The two of them followed the sounds and were met by a very strange sight. The Purple Dragons were getting beaten up by a very large mutant turtle with spikes on his back. He swung a mace and had already taken two of the members down.

"Man, that's neat!" Lucindra commented.

"I can't believe there's another mutant turtle," said Raph. "Mikey will freak about this. I'm gonna go talk to him."

"Raph, I don't think it's a good idea," cautioned Lucindra. "He could be dangerous."

Raph shrugged. "I think I can take him," he said. And with that, he leapt down and confronted the larger mutant. Lucindra followed, though she wasn't happy about it.

The Dragons got up and fled without glancing at Raph or his human companion.

"Yeah, that's right, you better run!" the larger mutant yelled. "Stupid cowards!"

"Hey, nice job on that fight," Raph commented. "You've got some skills."

"Thanks," the mutant said. He held out a hand. "The name's Slash. I was a bouncer who was abducted by the Kraang and experimented on against my will."

"Whoa, that had to be rough!" Raph said. "My name's Raphael, but everyone calls me Raph for short. And this is my friend, Lucindra."

"Did the Kraang experiment on you, too?" Slash asked him.

"I was a pet turtle before I was covered in mutagen," Raph said and told him the story of how Splinter had bought them as pets and how they were mutated.

"Damn!" Slash said. "That has to suck!"

"Nah, it has its perks," Raph said. "Look, we've been lookin' for this girl who wants to kill us. She has red hair and blue eyes. Her name's Robyn O'Neil. I don't know if you've heard her story, but she's dangerous."

"Oh, isn't she the one who killed her sister?" Slash asked.

Raph nodded. "Yep, that's the one."

"Yeah, I heard about that story. She's one crazy chick."

"Have you seen her around?"

Slash shook his head. "Nope. I haven't seen anyone by that description, but maybe my teammates have."

"You have a team?" Lucindra asked.

Slash nodded. "Yep. We call ourselves the Mighty Mutanimals."

Lucindra laughed. "That is the corniest name ever!"

"Hey, it's better than the one Mikey came up for us," Raph said defensively.

"And what was that?" asked Slash.

"He once called us the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," answered Raph. "He wanted to write about our adventures and thought we should have a cool name. He even came up with a theme song and everything because he figured that one day his stories would become a TV show, and all TV shows had cool theme songs."

"Was it cool?" asked Lucindra.

"No, it was the lamest thing ever," said Raph. "I still have nightmares about it."

"Well, I'll have to ask Mikey about that theme song then," said Lucindra.

"Okay, but I warned you," said Raph. "Hey, Slash, maybe you could meet my brothers. We could always use some extra eyes to watch for Robyn."

"I'd like that," said Slash. "You wanna go now?"

"Raph, I don't think this is a good idea," said Lucindra.

"Why not? Slash is on our side."

"Yeah, but you know how Leo is about complete strangers," she reminded him. "He won't be too happy about this."

"Look, I'll handle Fearless, okay?" Raph said. "We need to do this. Slash will be a good ally to have, and we need as many of those as we can get." And with that, Raph led Slash to the Lair. Lucindra followed, though she wasn't very happy about Raph's recklessness.

"Awesome place you've got here," Slash commented as he entered the Lair along with Raph and Lucindra.

"Yeah, it's a nice home," Raph said.

"Raph, who is this?" Leo demanded. He pulled his swords out and took a defensive stance.

"Relax, bro," Raph soothed. "This is Slash. He was once a human who was mutated by the Kraang against his will. I met him tonight, and he thinks he can help us stop Robyn."

Leo glared at his brother. "So, let me get this straight," he said. "You brought over a strange mutant because you think he could help us stop Robyn? Are you that dense? For all you know, he could be working for Robyn herself."

"I'm not working for Robyn," Slash reassured him. "I would never do that to you guys."

"I still don't' trust you, Slash. You have to prove yourself to me."

"I will. I promise. I even have a team of my own who could help out, too."

"How many are there?" Don asked him.

"Three others and then me. Oh, and the human who lent us the base. His name's Jack."

"Jack Kurtzman?" Leo asked.

"Yep. Do you know him?"

"Yeah, he and Ali were assigned to April's case," Don answered. "He still doesn't believe that we saw Robyn at the warehouse though."

"Well, maybe we can draw her out," Slash said. "If she's still in the city, that is."

"I still think this is a stupid plan," Leo said.

"Leonardo, it is prudent to have more allies working with us if we are to succeed," Splinter said firmly. "You may not trust Slash, but I feel he and his team will help us. You must learn to work together. A true ninja takes advantage of a situation and uses it to the best of his ability."

Leo sighed. "Hai, Sensei," he said. "Okay, we can try this."

"I have a good way for you guys to stay in touch with us," Don said and pulled out his T-Phone. "I can make some for you and your team so we can call you if we need you."

"Sounds like a plan. When will they be done?"

"In a few days," Don answered.

"Good. We'll meet you then to get them and go over some stuff."

"It is an honor to work with you, Slash," Splinter said graciously. "Thank you for helping my sons."

"No problem, Master Splinter," Slash said. "I'd better head out to tell my team what's going on."

"I'll walk you out," Raph offered. "I have to take Lucindra home anyway."

"Wait, before we go, I wanna ask Mikey about that theme song," Lucindra said.

"Oh, yeah, it's the best," Mikey said. Then he started singing, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, heroes in a halfshell. Turtle Power! I have more, but that's the main part. What do you think?"

"Not bad," Lucindra said. "That could probably turn into an awesome TV show one day."

"I still think it sucks," Raph said.

Mikey stuck his tongue out at Raph. "Yeah, like you could do any better."

"I probably could," Raph retorted.

"Well, when you come up with something, let me know and we'll see who's better," Mikey challenged.

"I will!" Raph retorted. "Let's go, you two."

Slash, Lucindra, and Raph left the Lair. Raph was still seething over Mikey's lame theme song and how Leo didn't trust Slash.

"Is Leo always like that?" Slash asked him.

"Yeah, he's always got a cob up his ass about something," Raph answered. "It's just so stupid."

"He's been through a lot though," Lucindra said. "You can't blame him for feeing that way."

"We all have been through a lot, but that doesn't mean he has to be a stick in the mud," Raph grumped. "Slash is tryin' to help and we need all the help we can get."

"Don't worry, Raph," Slash soothed. "I can see why he would be that way. He's the older brother, right?"

"Yeah, and the leader of our team," Raph answered.

"Then it makes sense he'd be so uptight."

"Yeah, but he shouldn't be," Raph said. "He needs to lighten up."

"Well, thanks for walking with me," Slash said. "I can go on my own from here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Slash said. "See you around, Raph."

"See you around," Raph said as he bumped fists with the larger mutant.

After Slash was gone, Raph took Lucindra home. She seemed a lot happier than before, and that made Raph feel better, too.

"So what do you think of Slash?" Raph asked her.

"He's cool, and I think he'll make a great friend," Lucindra said. "Just don't sweat Leo, okay? He's only looking out for you."

Raph sighed. "I know, but I just get so mad at him sometimes."

"Well, if you were leader, I'm sure you would probably worry about your brothers, too."

"I do worry about them!" Raph retorted. "The difference between me and Leo is that even though I worry about my brothers, I still trust them and don't second guess them. Leo does that all of the time no matter what it is, and it gets on my nerves!"

"Maybe he does, but he has his reason for it, Raph. Just try not to get mad at him, okay? You guys need each other right now."

Raph sighed. "Yeah, you're right," he said resignedly. "I guess I need to cool it, right?"

"For now," she said.

"Well, I better get home," Raph said. "I'll see you later."

"See you later, Big Guy," Lucindra said.

Raph waved to her before going home. He found Leo sitting up and waiting for him, and he tensed, expecting a huge lecture from his big brother that would lead into one of their infamous fights.

"Raph, I want you to know that even though I still don't fully trust Slash, I'm willing to give him a chance to help us," Leo said. "Splinter's right that we need help on this Robyn issue, and if Slash and his team can give us that, I'm willing to work with them to see how it goes. But if Slash betrays us in any way, all bets are off. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I get it, Leo," Raph said. "Are you done now?"

"Raph, don't be like this," Leo begged.

"I'm not," Raph answered. "Are you done with your little lecture?"

"Yes, I'm done."

"Good. See you in the morning."

Raph stormed to his room. He should have been glad that Leo was willing to still work with Slash, but the fact that Leo still didn't trust him rubbed Raph the wrong way. They needed help, and even though Raph often was the one who acted like they didn't need anybody else, he understood that they couldn't do this on their own. On instinct, he looked down at his phone, expecting a taunting text about not trusting strangers, but his phone stayed silent. Raph wasn't sure whether to take that as a good sign or a bad sign, but he knew that the war was far from over when it came to Robyn. They would just have to take things in stride and strike when they were ready.

A/N: Not the best ending for this chapter, but I felt it needed to end here. Yeah, I added Slash and the Mutanimals to the mix though I changed Slash's origin a bit because I felt it fit better with my universe. Only one chapter to go and this story will be complete. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Brain Games

A/N: Well, it has now come down to this. Here is the final chapter in this tale. I have to admit, it's been a long road, but I've finally reached the end of this particular tale and it pleases me to finally be finished with it. I want to thank all of those who have read and reviewed this story. You have stuck with me even when I felt like giving up on this story and when I left you hanging for so long. I can't thank you enough for everything you have done for me, and I appreciate each and every one of you. I hope that you enjoy this final chapter as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more than that.

Donatello sighed as he put the finishing touches on the last T-Phone for Slash and his team. As much as he wanted this mess to be over with, he couldn't help but feel some trepidation about trusting Slash. Slash was a stranger to them, and by all accounts, he probably shouldn't be trusted, especially if Robyn did get to him in some way. But Don knew that if he said anything of the sort to Raph, the hothead would defend Slash to the hilt. So Don tried his best to shake off these thoughts as he finished the last device.

_You'll never get rid of me, Donnie. Stop trying. _

Don shook his head. He'd been hearing Robyn's voice ever since the warehouse incident, though he hadn't told his brothers about it. He knew if he did, they would just say he was going crazy and needed help, so he kept it to himself as he often did. He knew it wasn't healthy to do that, but he couldn't think of another option.

A knock on his door startled him as he turned around. Leo was standing in the doorway.

"How's it going on the T-Phones, Donnie?" he asked his brother.

"Almost done, Leo," Don answered.

"Good. Then we'll meet up with Slash and meet his team, too."

"Leo, do you really think this is a good idea?" Don asked him.

"What do you mean?" Leo replied.

"I mean, Slash is a stranger. How do you know we can trust him?"

Leo sighed. "I don't trust him, Donnie, but Splinter's right. We need help, and if Slash and his team can help us, it's better for us to have them than to be without them. We're in over our heads on this one. Believe me, I don't like to admit that any more than you do, but it's the truth. We just have to go with it, okay? I already warned Raph that if Slash betrays us, all bets are off."

"I bet Raph didn't like that," Don muttered.

"No, he didn't, but he understands."

"Well, then I guess we'll have to make do with what we have. How long before we meet them?"

"A few hours."

"Okay, I should be done by then," Don said.

"Great. See you then."

_You're so pathetic, Donnie. You know you can't beat me, not even with your stupid little allies who are so pathetic anyway. Just give up. You're in way over your head with this one. _

"I won't give up," Don said quietly. "I can't give up." And with that last jab at the voice in his head, Don set out to continue his task. There was no way he was going to let Robyn win.

22222

A few hours later, the Turtles were racing across the rooftops to meet with Slash. Don still felt some trepidation about all of this, but he had to trust Leo's judgment and Splinter's as well. They did need help, and there was no way they were going to be beaten by some crazy person. Raph pointed to where Slash waited, and they made their way over to them.

"Good to see you guys," Slash greeted them. "I thought maybe you were gonna hold out on me."

"We always keep our word, Slash," Leo said firmly, a hard glare in his eye.

"I can see that," Slash replied. "Let me lead you to our base."

The Turtles followed Slash to a group of warehouses. A pit formed in Don's stomach as he remembered the warehouse he and his brothers had encountered Robyn and Jason in. He only hoped the base wasn't in that one.

_You can always back out now, Donnie. Just say the word and go home. _

Don shook his head and ignored the voice as he focused on following Slash to his base. Thankfully, it wasn't in the same district where they had encountered Robyn and Jason, and Don felt some relief at that.

Slash opened the door and beckoned them inside. "It's not much of a home, but it's the best we could find for now."

The Turtles followed him into the warehouse and saw that it was a pretty big place filled with all the amenities of a home. Don was amazed at everything they'd been able to fit inside of it. Slash led them to where a group of mutants were congregated. Don's mouth dropped open as he recognized Slash's team. Mikey's eyes lit up, and he barreled toward a familiar form.

"Leatherhead!" he yelled as he embraced the mutant alligator. "I missed you, buddy! How did you get here?"

"I escaped Dimension X along with some of the Kraang who I defeated with the help of Slash and the others," Leatherhead replied. "Slash thought I would fit well within their team, and so I joined. It is good to see you, my friends."

Don wasn't so sure about that one since Leatherhead had constantly grabbed him by the face whenever he went into a rage. He only hoped no face grabbing would occur and decided to give the alligator a wide berth so as to prevent it. His attention was turned to another mutant he recognized.

"Doctor Rockwell?" he gasped.

"Yes, and you must be Donatello," Rockwell replied. "I remember our first encounter with that young lady friend of yours. I am very sorry for my behavior during that time. I was not myself, and I regret the beating I gave you."

"Uh, that's okay, Doc," said Don. "I forgive you."

_Ha! Ha! Ha! You got beaten up by a monkey? How sad! You're worse than I thought, Donnie. You're so weak! _

Once again, Don shook his head to rid himself of the voice. Why was he letting her win?

"Are you okay, Donnie?" Leo asked.

"I'm fine," Don answered. "Just a little headache."

"Hey, don't forget about me!" a voice squeaked as a mutant pigeon flew around the room.

"Pigeon Pete?" Raph asked, rolling his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm part of the team," Pete replied.

"Yeah, but why?" Raph asked. "You're probably the worst mutant in the history of mutants."

"Hey, I've gotten a lot tougher since you saw me last," Pete said defensively.

"Pete's good at being a spy," Slash confirmed. "We've used him to gather intel on things that are going on in the city. Since he can fly, he can spot things some of us can't see."

"See? I'm useful," Pete bragged.

"Whatever," Raph said, rolling his eyes.

"So, where are the phones?" Slash asked.

"Right here," Don answered and presented them to the team. "They work the same way ours do, and we can contact each other if we need to."

"Great," Slash said. "If we see anything weird, we'll tell you right away."

"Sounds good," Leo confirmed. "Thanks for taking the time to help us, Slash. We really appreciate it."

"No problem. Hey, you guys wanna stay for a bit?"

"Can we, Leo?" Mikey begged.

"Sorry, Mikey, but we have practice in the morning," Leo answered. "But we'll stop by again soon, okay?"

Mikey sighed. "Okay," he said dejectedly.

The Turtles said goodbye to their new allies and headed for home. They were in better spirits, but Don couldn't help but feel that something was off about this.

"That definitely wasn't bad, was it, guys?" Raph asked.

"No, it wasn't," Leo agreed. "I really like the Mutanimals and think they'll be good allies for us."

"It's so cool Leatherhead's one of them," Mikey said happily. "I was afraid I'd lost him forever."

"Yeah, that's just great," Don said.

"Something wrong, D?" Mikey asked his brother.

"I just don't have a good feeling about this," Don said. "Who's to say that Robyn will show up? For all we know, she could be out of the state or even the country."

"I know, Donnie, but we have to keep all of our options open," Leo said. "Just calm down. I know we can do this, okay? You have to trust me."

"I do trust you, Leo. I just don't trust the situation."

_Good man, Donnie. Get out now while you still can. _

"Shut up," Don muttered.

"What did you say?" Raph asked him.

"What?"

"You said something," Raph said. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking about an experiment."

"It sounded like you told someone to shut up."

"I didn't say that, Raph. You must be imagining things."

Raph shrugged. "If you say so."

_Ha! Even your brothers are starting to notice things. Better get out now before things really start hitting the fan. _

Don ignored the voice even tough Robyn was right. If he wasn't careful, his brothers were going to start looking at him funny and questioning his sanity, and he couldn't have that. He followed his brothers home and went back into his lab to try and get his mind off of everything. After some time, he grew tired and decided it was time for bed. He looked at his phone, expecting a text, but nothing happened. But as he drifted off to sleep, he heard that annoying voice.

_You'll never get rid of me, Donnie. I'm part of you and always will be. Deal with it, freak! _

"I will get rid of you, Robyn, once and for all," Don stated. "I don't know how yet, but mark my words you won't be able to torment anyone ever again once I'm done with you. You will pay for everything you have ever done to me and my family."

And with that last vow, Don fell asleep and tried to remain positive about the outcome of what could happen. Robyn was still out there, but she wasn't going to haunt him any longer. He was going to get rid of her, even if it meant doing something drastic.

End of Part Two

A/N: And that's the end of this story. I'm so happy that I was able to finish this story once and for all as it has caused me a great deal of stress on how to end it. But now it has come, and I'm relieved. But though this is the end of the story, it isn't the end of the series. I have a third story I'm planning out though I haven't made much progress with it yet. But once I do, be sure to look for Game of Lies, coming soon. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


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